The Ride of Your Life
by Forever-Liz
Summary: Bella has an amazing life as a teacher in paradise. She's doing all the things she loves: teaching, playing music, and Edward? Tattoos, and Choppers, and LEMONS! Oh, my! AH, OOC, LANGUAGE
1. Ink and Ivory

~*~

_**A/N: **_

_I wrote this entry for Nina's DILF contest. Thanks to __**Ninapolitan**__ for this FUN contest!_

_A very special thank you to my beta-licious beta, __**Dizzygrl28**__. You make my words sparkle! _

_This is the usual sad realization that I do not own these fake people, __**SM**__ does. It's a good thing that they're fake so I can make them do crazy, magical things. _

_I . Want. A. DILFward. Maybe for Christmas... If I'm a good girl?_

_**~*~**_

**CH1- Ink & Ivory**

I hurried around my fourth grade classroom, trying to clean up the fucking war zone of a mess my students had left in their wake. Humming to myself, I worked to right the disaster area before my meeting with one of my student's parents.

There was nothing I loved more than teaching and music. Teaching music had always been my dream, and now, I was living that dream- in paradise. Florida got a bad rap for being hot and sticky, but to live and work so close to the ocean- where the sea breezes tempered the heat- _was fucking paradise_.

I'd moved here to be nearer to my mom and her husband, Phil, the "Golden Boy" of the Major Leagues. Renee had suggested the change of scenery and climate after I'd completed my Masters. I was more than ready for a change from the constant rain after ten years of living out in Washington State with Charlie, my dad. I'd moved there for high school and I liked being close to him. The decision to attend the University of Washington, so we could still be within driving distance of one another, was a good one, but I was so over the damn rain. Seriously, it's never ending.

Pausing by the baby grand piano that was my pride and joy, donated by my generous show off of a step-father, I ran my fingers down the keys and the sound filled the room. My eyes wandered to the view out the window as the notes faded. Today was a typical northeast Florida day. I couldn't imagine anyone who wouldn't fucking love a place where 300 of the 365 days of the year could be spent lounging on the beach. I lived, worked, and played within walking distance of the pink beaches in Ponte Vedra. I wouldn't have pegged me for the beach bimbo type, and I'm not, but you know what they say, "Life's a beach."

What I didn't love was damned parent teacher meetings. I strongly disliked them. Hell, I fucking hated them. It's my least favorite part of being a teacher. Most of the time they were requested for less than pleasant reasons, and this was one of those godforsaken times.

It was my third parent teacher meeting in four days. I had dubbed this the week from hell thanks to a little incident that took place between three of my students on Monday, and I was anxious to get this last meeting taken care of and behind me so I could begin a long weekend. It had been a week of parents who all thought their babies were angels who could do no fucking wrong, and each one thought their child was more talented than the next. These breeders had a way of draining the life from you. At least my next and final meeting would revolve around one of my most talented students, Masen Cullen; although I called the meeting because he'd been misbehaving, it wouldn't be quite as miserable as the others.

_I need a vacation so damn badly. Not so much from my students, but from their fucking _parents_! I'm so going for a long ride on the way home._

My newest toy waited in the parking lot, delivered only yesterday, and I couldn't wait until the weekend to ride the blue custom Harley Softail, so I had ridden it to school today. As I often did when I rode my last bike to work, I had worn comfortable clothes and brought more professional clothes in my bag. Downey wrinkle release was my best friend. No, seriously, I don't fucking iron. Anything.

There was nothing like riding a well built motorcycle.

_Except riding well built man..._

I moaned and shook my head at the thought. That just proved that I needed to get out and have some fun. All work and no play made Bella a horny girl.

Heading back to my desk, I hummed a song that I'd heard on my iPod on the way into school this morning, and grinned at the inappropriateness of the song choice. I didn't think the administration would appreciate me singing Ciara's song "Love Sex Magic" even if I _was_ the head of the damn Music Department, so I edited the lyrics a bit as I stooped to toss the trash I had collected into the garbage can, shaking my ass a little. They came out more like, "Love and _Hmm_ and Magic".

~*~

I was so engrossed in the song, wishing I was somewhere other than this classroom and getting ready for this meeting, that I didn't realize the time, nor did I notice anyone enter the room.

I heard a throat clear in the doorway behind me, and my head shot up- damn, _caught_. I righted myself and turned to see my student, Masen, and the most amazingly god-like man I had ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on.

_How have you never seen this man before? We're in what, the seventh week of school now? Damn. _

He was fucking _beautiful_. All tall and muscled, with messy bronze hair and mesmerizing green eyes. He was dressed in faded jeans, a t-shirt, and ratty chucks. My eyes grazed the ink that decorated his forearms and followed their liquid lines up to where they disappeared under the short sleeves of his dark shirt. My fingers twitched, urging my hands to follow their path to their end, but I held them to my sides. Oranges, greens, blues, and reds blended together and became beautiful images that I could only imagine held deep symbolic meaning for their bearer. The colors and lines only enhanced his beauty.

My heart beat quickened as I looked, but didn't see, a wedding ring.

_Thank you, sweet baby Jeebus._

Not that it meant he was available. What I _did _see was the massive bulge straining against his button fly. _Was this Masen's _father_?_ He looked so young. Or maybe, if I was lucky, this was his horny older brother.

My gaze quickly swept down his perfect form and back up again, settling on eyes so green they took my breath away. For a moment I was frozen where I stood.

_Chill Swan. Down girl! Get it together_ _sister_! Professionalism_, remember? I don't think eye fucking this man would be considered very _professional_._

I composed myself, and smiling warmly, I strode toward Masen and his own personal flesh-god.

"Hi there, Masen. It feels like I just saw you!" I teased the little boy. I really liked this kid, and the positive outcome of this meeting was very important to me. He had a lot of potential, but his recent behavior had shown me that he was in need of some extra attention.

"Because you did just see me, Ms. Swan! School _just_ let out! You can be so corny sometimes." Masen smiled and looked down at his feet, his hands fidgeting with the straps on his back pack.

"Ahh, but that's why you love me!" His head flew up and something like panic or surprise flashed in his eyes. Did all nine year old boys really think they were the only ones to have crushes on their teachers?

I gently tousled his shaggy bronze hair. The shade almost matched that of the man-god that stood beside him, except Masen's locks had been kissed by the sun at the tips. Masen relaxed, gave me a sweet grin, and then looked up at the man beside him. I noticed that this man had not made a sound since first clearing his throat.

I also noticed him taking a long look at me.

_Ahhh, but do you like what you see?_

Self consciously, I brushed my waist-long brown hair off my shoulders and it fell down my back in soft curls. My hand smoothed and dusted my skirt and blouse, and I shifted under his gaze as it moved slowly, following the path of my hands over my curves. I was suddenly glad I had decided to wear this particular combination today; a dark grey pencil skirt with pleats in the back that hugged me in all the right places, and a deep blue sheer top with tiny polka-dots. The cap sleeves and ruffled neckline of the blouse were feminine, yet professional, and the sheer fabric made it a little sexy. When he took in my heels I noticed his eyes grow wider, and I saw something flash behind them. It was his turn to shift uncomfortably, and I took the opportunity to introduce myself.

"Hello. My name is Bella Swan. I'm Masen's teacher. You must be his...?"

I knew better than to assume in this day and age. Was he Masen's dad? His brother? Uncle? Nanny? Father's _partner_?

_Oh, please, please,_ please_ don't let him be gay..._

"Father. I'm his dad, Edward Cullen. It's nice to meet you, Ms. Swan. Masen speaks very highly of you, and _often_."

He playfully punched his son in the arm and flashed a crooked smile. Masen was standing there in shocked horror. Apparently all nine year old boys _did_ think they were the only ones with a teacher crush. He was so cute and looked so much like his dad, even down to his well worn chucks.

I was a little surprised at the sound of his voice; it was smooth, like sex on satin sheets. I wouldn't have expected such velvet and refined speech from the scruffy, tattooed form before me, and it was almost too much to stand. So, I invited him to have a seat.

"Masen, why don't you go to the library and get a head start on your homework. Your dad and I will have a little chat and then when we're done we'll come down and get you, okay?"

Masen nodded in agreement and started for the door and then stopped. He turned back to his father and extended a fist to him. Edward, er- Mr. Cullen, returned the gesture and fist bumped his young clone.

I watched the back of Mini Me's bag as he left, and I motioned for _Mr. Cullen_ to take a seat in a chair I had placed near my desk at the front of the room, fighting with every ounce of my strength to keep from straddling him when he sat. This was going to be an interesting P/T meeting, for sure.

My pulse quickened at the thought of being alone with _the bulge_. An image of being crushed in his arms; the several days old scruff along his jaw line scratching my sensitive skin flashed through my mind.

_DILF. He is so my "Dad I'd Like to Fuck". Again and again and again... _

My tongue swept across my lips as I imagined running it along his neck and licking him properly.

_Just shove your tongue down his throat and be done with it. Damn, a hot man walks into my classroom and I'm suddenly Super Nympho! Well, I guess it'd be _one way_ to make a big first impression._

The thought reminded me of another first impression that was recently made, but not_ by _me, but rather by Mr. Mike "Fucker" Newton, Mikey's dad. He too had come in for a P/T meeting just yesterday, reeking of cheap cologne and stale cigarette smoke. From the moment that man walked in my classroom I had the creeps. Unlike Masen, I wouldn't let Mikey out of my sight during our meeting for fear of what Mr. Newton was sure to suggest. Spewton, as I had started calling him since yesterday, had come on fast and hard, and I couldn't get away fast enough. He had his hands all over me, promising me to "Rock my world," as he put it. And all in front of his _kid_!

_Sick fucker._

After several polite, yet unsuccessful, attempts at trying to put him in his place, I decided to handle the situation in a way that would make my father proud. All those self defense classes he'd insisted I take paid off. I took the very sharp and very pointy heel of my stiletto and brought it down squarely on his big, fat toe. He screamed like a little twat and hopped around holding his throbbing foot in his hand. I made one last attempt at being polite.

"Mr. Newton, _that_ is a warning. You may have a seat and act like an adult for the remainder of this meeting, or you can find out what else I can skewer with these 'sexy ass heels', as you referred to them as. For the record, the body part I have in mind is a bit further north of your big toe."

With that, he sat wide eyed and whimpering, rubbing his toe for the next eight minutes and twenty-three seconds. Yes, I timed it. His only input was to nod and murmur an "uh-huh," or a "yes, ma'am". I suggested that he send his equally unlikeable bitch of a wife, Lauren, the next time I requested a parent-teacher meeting. While that would be a miserable experience as well, I wouldn't be in danger of being groped! At least I hoped not; she _was_ married to that dip shit. Who knew what kinda nastiness they indulged in. I tried to shake off the horrible memory of that disgusting Spewton.

_The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, there. Just the thought of him makes my skin crawl, and if Mikey doesn't straighten out he'll be just like his fucked up father!_

The thought made me shiver.

Mr. Cullen and I settled in for our meeting. I wanted this to be as brief and to the point as possible. I had rays to catch, a new bike to ride, and- even though it _was_ a holiday weekend, papers to grade. Not to mention that, even sitting, this man's…, uh… _manhood_ was _very_ noticeable and I felt my body reacting to the thought of what he was capable of doing with that impressive display.

_You've lost it, perv. I need to get some soon before I start taking my student's fathers by force. I can't even remember the last time my lady parts came out to play!_

I once again shook off the overwhelming desire to leap from my chair, straddle him on his, and make this meeting really productive.

Instead I softly cleared my throat, smiled warmly, and got to the point of our meeting.

"Mr. Cullen, thanks for agreeing to meet with me today. It's nice to meet at least one of the people responsible for raising Masen. He's an amazing kid, you know?"

"Thank you, Ms. Swan. Please call me Edward. He's _is_ pretty amazing, but something tells me that you didn't just call me in here to tell me how wonderful my son is. You'd mentioned in your message something about an 'incident' that occurred on Monday. It was very cryptic."

"Mr. Cull... I mean, Edward. You're right, I asked to meet with you because I wanted to make you aware of what took place and handle it as you and your wife saw best to."

I paused to gauge his reaction. He remained calm, but he raised his eyebrows curiously.

I continued, "Masen and two of his friends, Mikey Newton and Josh Crowley, were in the back of the room Monday just before the start of class. I had asked everyone to have a seat so class could begin. They all headed to their seats, but there was a little scuffle between the boys. I didn't see what happened, but I heard the result. From what information I can get from the boys, it seems they were goofing off and one of the other boys, Mikey, tweaked Mason's nipple and yelled, 'Purple Nurple!' Masen's reaction surprised me with the colorful shades of his vocabulary.

"I know that he was only reacting to the situation, but it's his language that I'd like to talk to you about. I see a lot of raw talent and potential in your son, but we all have to learn that certain words are impolite and not acceptable to use during school hours." Again I paused, both to give him a chance to respond, and also to gather my thoughts.

When I looked over at Edward he had an unbelievably sexy half smirk on his face, seemingly amused that I was trying to tell him that his son had a potty mouth. He shifted forward, resting his elbows on his knees and folding his hands in front of him- just inches from my knee. I shifted a little in my seat when my body reacted to the thought of him being close enough to extend one of those long, slender fingers and brush it against my leg. Edward chuckled.

"Are you trying to tell me that my son was using inappropriate language in your classroom? Would you mind telling me exactly what was said?" His voice was heavy as he asked me to repeat Masen's outburst.

_So, he wants to hear me say dirty words? Fine._

I wasn't a prude, and I was about to make sure that he knew that. I lifted my chin, just enough to be able to look him straight in the eye, and recounted the incident.

"No, of course I don't. Masen told Mikey to, 'Keep your hands off my tittie's,' and then when Mikey teased Masen and told him that he knew that he liked his, 'tittie's tweaked,' that's when Masen told them both to, 'Fuck off'."

Edward's face flashed in shock for just a moment and then broke into a huge smile as laughter roared from his chest. I wasn't sure if I was shocked at Masen's words or my retelling of them.

"Masen said that, huh?"

I felt my brow furrow in disappointment, and I crossed my arms over my chest.

_What's so damn funny about your nine year old son telling his classmates to F-off?_

"Yes, he did, and while he wasn't the only one at fault, he _was_ the one who resorted to using fowl foul language in my classroom. I'm not a prude, Mr. Cullen..."

"_Edward._" The smooth tone of his voice from earlier was gone; it flashed dark and gravelly.

_Did he just growl at me? For the love of Donna Summer! This man is hot! Have mercy..._

"Uh,_ Edward_, I have been known to use a foul word or two hundred myself, but there's a time and a place for everything, and personally, I don't think a nine year old should be using that type of language anywhere."

Edward had composed himself, and when he spoke his voice was once again silky and controlled.

"Ms. Swan, may I call _you _Bella?"

I had to think about that for a second. We were both adults, why not? The idea of him saying my name caused me to unconsciously uncross and then re-cross my legs in the opposite direction. His eyes darted towards the movement and then back to my eyes.

"Of course. Please, call me Bella." It sounded more like a plea than permission.

"Fine then, _Bella. _ Masen came home Monday and told me about what took place. He was very embarrassed and disappointed in himself for having upset you. He all but put himself on restriction. Of course when his grandmother heard of the matter she gave him the full run down on what was and was not acceptable to say in public. She also assured him that if she ever heard him use that sort of language again before he was old enough to vote, that she would introduce him to the joys of liquid soap on his tongue. Needless to say, the matter has been handled and Masen wanted to wait until our meeting to tell you himself that he was sorry for what took place. And for the record, there is no Mrs. Edward Cullen. Masen's mother is not a part of our lives."

Edward sat back in his chair, glancing at the piano positioned in the corner of the room and then back to me. Waiting for my response, his eyes moved over my hands, and up my arms, following the line that led to my chest and then moving further up, settling on my mouth. I shuttered at his perusal and squirmed under his intense gaze. I was fucking thankful that I was sitting and hoped there wouldn't be a wet spot on the back of my skirt the next time I stood up.

"Um, well, it's good to hear that Masen talked to you about this on his own. I've always been impressed with his maturity. I believe that may have been why I was so shocked to hear him speak that way. I'm sure we won't have a repeat of last Monday."

I _was _pleased to hear about Masen telling his family about Monday, but even more pleased to hear that there was no wifey in the picture.

_That doesn't mean he isn't seeing someone though, Ms. Eager Beaver. Ugh! What am I doing? I should be focused on getting through this meeting, not getting into this man's extremely tight and yummy pants_!

Glancing down at the notes I had made for this meeting, I continued, "I had also wanted to talk to you about Masen's musical studies. You know, he has some of the most inherent musical talent I have come across yet. He amazes me each time he touches an instrument. His strongest are the piano and guitar, but we've been giving him other instruments to experiment with as well. He's an impressive individual, Edward; you should be very proud of him."

"I _am_ very proud of my son, and I have to confess that he probably picked up his less than desirable language from his Uncle Emmett. My brother is a little rough around the edges and tends to overuse crass language around Masen. He has a good heart, but a filthy mouth. Our extended family is very close, so Masen spends a lot of time surrounded by my parents, brothers, and sisters. I'm guessing Emmett's where he learned his most colorful words. Thankfully he has been able to pick up other, more acceptable forms of expression from his other family members."

I already liked this Emmett character. I did love a good swear fest, just maybe not in my classroom, and definitely not coming from the mouth of my nine year old student.

"It seems like Masen's talent is genetic. It would be interesting to see if anyone else in the family possessed hidden talents."

As soon as the words were out my mouth I knew the mistake I'd made. I blushed at the thought that crossed my mind of Edward showing _me_ all the ways he was talented. Fuck, I haven't blushed since I was a virgin.

Apparently Edward caught the unintended double meaning of my words. He was trying desperately to keep from laughing at what I said, only to snort in the process. Clearing his voice in an effort to try to cover up his laughter, he responded, "Yes that _would_ be very interesting."

I couldn't help myself and asked him innocently, "Do_ you_ have any hidden talents, Edward?"

To his credit he answered without cracking a smile, "I don't know that they are _hidden_, but I do play the piano and the guitar. I taught Masen to play."

Looking down at his hands, now resting on his thighs, I could imagine his fingers dancing over the keys of a Grand piano, or plucking the strings of a perfectly tuned guitar. A shudder shot through my body at the thought of what else his fingers could dance over and pluck.

"Would you play for me sometime?"

For the second time in ten years, not to mention ten minutes, I blushed crimson red. I didn't even have the chance bring up the second reason for our meeting; the opportunity to suggest that Masen might benefit from additional private instruction.

He looked at me thoughtfully and rose from his seat without warning, his fingers brushing against my knee as he stood. I wasn't sure if the touch was accidental, but it sent a shock of electricity through me and left every part of me begging for more of his touch. He walked over to my piano, and casting a look over his shoulder at me, he said, "As you wish."

_Ugh! I am so many shades of wrong! I think I may have just had a mini "O" when he touched me! God I hope he touches me again! And did he just quote "Princess Bride"? Fuck me!_

Edward's hand softly caressed the side of the instrument as he walked around it. In one fluid movement, he sat on the bench and placed his hands gently on the keys. I couldn't see his hands from where I sat, and I _really_ wanted to see this man's hands on my piano. As he coaxed the first notes from the keys, I moved to perch on a nearby student's desk. I sat on the desktop and propped my feet up on the seat, chuckling out loud when the familiar sounds of "Claire de Lune" filled the room.

"Seriously?" My eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"What? Do you mind telling me what is so humorous about Debussy?"

"Oh. Nothing. It's just... a bit overdone, that's all. You play it well, though. You have good form and _technique_."

I tried not to snicker. I was enjoying teasing him a little, and besides, I'd stopped counting the number of times I'd heard that piece played for auditions and concert pieces.

_Did he really expect to impress the Director of the Music Department with_ _fucking_ "Clair de Lune"_? He does have amazing presence and style, though. I can see where Masen gets his talent from._

He smiled a devious grin, and my heart skipped a beat.

The melody transitioned into a complicated arrangement of notes and rests. It was one of the most beautiful pieces I'd ever heard, almost bringing tears to my pathetic eyes. The emotion dripped down from his hands onto the ivory. It was at that moment that I found myself overwhelmingly jealous of that piano. I began thinking of ways to get his hands on me. My eyes never left his hands, but from the corner of my sight I could see him staring at me watching him. When he finished playing I took a deep breath and softy cleared my throat.

"That was singularly the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. I don't recognize it. Who is the composer and what is it called?"

_Jeebus, Swan, emo much?_

"Masen." His one word reply brought my focus back to him, and I was shocked.

"_Masen_ wrote that?!"

"No, no. I did and it is entitled 'Masen'. I composed it when he was born."

"Okay, _now_ I'm impressed."

It was his turn to chuckle.

"Please, don't be. I've been playing for a long time. Would_ you _please play for_ me_?"

My eyes narrowed in suspicion. Then in a more teasing tone he said, "I showed you mine, will you show me yours, Bella?"

I'd been playing for many a year myself, and I am not shy about playing in front of strangers. Hell, I wasn't named the head of the Music Department solely for the way my ass looked in a skirt; although, it did look pretty damn amazing today, if I do say so myself.

He was openly flirting with me now, and the teacher's handbook be damned, I wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to flirt with this fuckhot man.

"I'd love to show you mine, Mr. Cullen. I mean, _Edward_."

I smiled coyly as I moved from the desk and took the four steps to the piano bench. The silence hung in the room like fog in a forest as I stepped between the keys and the bench, forcing him to slide over to the right or be sat on. I was disappointed that I wouldn't be sitting in his lap for my performance.

Settling for just sitting next to him, I began playing my favorite piece by Vivaldi: the piano arrangement of Mandolin Concerto in C Major. Fuck yeah, I was showing off, but he did ask to see mine. I watched his hands while he was playing, a habit I picked up from years of teaching, but as _I_ played, he was watching me and studying my face as I enjoyed the music.

I had expected him to make some sort of comment when I'd finished, maybe a smart ass remark about my being a showoff, but he surprised me by gathering my hand in his, reverently turning it over and smoothing my fingers open. Then his head dipped down and he pressed his lips to my palm.

The touch of his kiss shot through my hand, up my arm, and straight to my chest. It found its mark on my heart, which began to beat wildly, so furiously that I felt he must have heard it trying to bust through my ribs and into his pants. His touch was light, purposeful. His other hand, with its long beautiful fingers, pressed flat against my breast, feeling where my heart roared beneath it.

His eyes never left mine, and he planted a second kiss on the inside of the wrist he still held. The fire that threatened to rage inside began to burn brighter, and I was determined that his third kiss would be met by my lips. I slipped my hand from his and my fingertips brushed along his arm, finally tracing the lines embedded in his skin. My hands seemed to move on their own, making a path upward and came coming to rest on either side of his face. I knew this was not my best fucking idea ever, but I was beyond thinking about good versus not so good. Leaning in, I pressed my mouth to his. He responded instantly to my advances and returned my kiss. His hand that was covering my chest shifted to hungrily cup my breast, as my hands snaked around his neck. I pulled him closer, my hands tangling in his bronze hair.

_So soft._

Edward pulled back, breaking our kiss, and looked at me for a brief moment, gauging my response before crashing back into me. It was rough and primal, and the air was filled with our quiet moans and pleas for more. Our hands flew over each other as we struggled to remove the other's shirt. I made fast work of his t-shirt and threw it back over my shoulder. I'd thought he was beautiful fully clothed, but he was fucking magnificent as he sat before me without his shirt. The ink I was able to see before continued up his arms in full sleeves, and the images bled together as they spread across his chest. They met in the middle where the name "Masen" arched across his entire chest in all caps and old English text. I took a moment, studying the images he had chosen to mark his body with forever, and in that instant I hoped I'd someday hear the stories behind his choices.

The air around us was charged and punctuated by our breathing as we touched, our fingers pushing one another further into passion.

Edward had my blouse unbuttoned and pulled it down my arms, tossing it to the side, only to be faced with the matching camisole beneath it. He groaned in frustration. Taking pity on him, I pulled the flimsy material over my head, my curls cascading down my bare back and over my shoulders. The camisole joined my blouse in a heap.

A smile spread across his lips as he watched the source of his frustrations vanish. The smile changed and darkened when he turned to see me sitting next to him in my bra and skirt. In an instant his hands were on my hips, lifting me and sitting me down hard on the keys. The sound of random notes being played at the same time filled the room, joining our pants and moans in a sonata of passion as our hands explored, groped, teased, and caressed each other.

His hands ran up my legs, bunching my skirt up around my thighs, continuing up along my sides where they finally cupped my breasts, causing me to moan and pull him towards me. He pulled the straps of my black lace bra down off my shoulders and freed the soft tissue of my breasts from the sexy lingerie I'd chosen to wear this morning. It was his turn to moan.

"God, Bella, you're perfect."

The bra was off in an instant and resting somewhere on the floor of my classroom with the rest my other clothing. Edward stood and pressed his bare chest to mine, the warmth from his skin spreading throughout my body. Our personal symphony still playing as the sounds of the piano sang out each time my weight shifted. He pushed and pulled my skirt up around my hips, his mouth, hot and breathy, on my skin as he licked and nipped at my breasts. I felt it when he found the waist of my matching lace thong. It was in that moment we both heard something outside the door.

Gasping, I pulled him to me like a shield as we froze in place, listening for what was on the other side. After a few moments of silence we realized that it was nothing, but Edward, pressing a quick kiss to my lips, strode over to the door and turned the lock with a click, and then moved to do the same to the other door as well. Retuning to me, he had the look of a predator.

"Where were we?"

His hands slid back to their position around my thong and began to pull it down. His kisses were deep and penetrating, each thrust of his tongue pushing me further over the edge of reason, but I knew this was wrong and I tried to tell him so in between the incredible tongue-fuck he was giving me.

"Edward... _Edward_. Edward! We. Have. To. Stop. _Ugh!"_

"What? Why? You want to stop?"

"Fuck, no, I don't want to stop, but this isn't right!"

Edward never stopped moving his hands and his tongue continued sliding along my breasts and skin. He wasn't making stopping this train easy.

"Not right? _Bella_, you can't tell me you don't feel that electricity each time we touch. Or kiss. Or lick. This is every kind of _right_."

"Edward, I'm your son's teacher, dammit! This is twelve shades of_ wrong_! I can't be having hot piano sex with my student's parent. In my fucking classroom. It's not ethical."

He grabbed my hips and dragged me off the piano and onto his lap. Finally, I was in this glorious man's lap!

"There, now you're not on the piano, better?" Edward began kissing me again, and his hips began to shift and lift as he worked to generate friction where our bodies met. My own body mimicked his movements, the buttons on his jeans rubbing in all the right places, and I began composing the thank you letter in my head that I'd be writing later...

_Dear Levi Strauss, I just wanted to fucking thank you for the genius that is the button fly jean. You may never know what it has done for the dry hump..._

I felt him responding with each grind and movement, and my "Goodie Two Shoes" teacher side was warring with my "Naughty" Bella side. Goodie Two Shoes tried one last time to reason with him. I really hated that bitch sometimes.

"Edward, the bench isn't much better than the piano keys." I smiled against his kisses. "We're still in my classroom, and you are still the father of one of my students."

My last attempt at restraint was punctuated with pants as his hands and mouth did things my body most definitely didn't want him to stop doing. He apparently didn't want to stop either, and his response was immediate. The passion had lifted the smooth, collected exterior revealing the side of him that I originally expected, with all the ink and rough edges.

"Fuck! So, I'll transfer Mason to another teacher or school."

"You can't do that! There isn't another Magnet Music Program in the county, and it's not fair to Masen. Edward, please listen!"

Despite Goodie _Prude_ Shoes' efforts to calm things down, my hands had a mind of their own, touching, caressing, and scraping their nails up and down his muscled back, even grabbing his ass to pull him closer as he rocked under me.

"Fine, so I'll homeschool him, for fuck's sake! I want this, Bella! I want _you_! I _know_ you want me too. You really want me to stop doing this...?"

Edward punctuated his question with a forceful thrust of his hips into mine.

_Oh, please, no! Never stop doing_ that_! Ever!_

My body responded before my brain had time to recover from his movements, and my sex possessed hand reached down between us and rubbed along his length, feeling every inch of him. I gasped from how hard he felt under my grip. My traitorous hands continued to rub him, and his moaning grew louder, more insistent.

"Bella, I'm close, please?"

If he was close then I was at the edge of the cliff, and while my experiencing a big "O" wouldn't be noticeable to others, his would be.

He licked and sucked my nipple until it was puckered and almost painful, and I couldn't remember why I wanted him to stop.

_Oh, yeah, because his son is waiting for you in the library. Because you are going to have to see this man again in a public setting. Because he's going to walk out of your classroom and through the halls with a massive stain on his crotch from you dry humping him on your piano!_

I stood there on the "Cliffs of Release", or the "Cliffs of Insanity", depending on which voice I was going to listen to, and decided that I really liked extreme sports. So I leaned over and plucked my blouse from the floor. Edward moaned and looked confused, but too focused on not coming right there to question me. I grinned at the beautiful man under me and reassured him.

"It's okay, Edward, I've got this."

Making quick work of those sexy ass buttons, I released him from the denim that confined him and took him into my hand. His groan was loud and almost pained. I was grateful that he'd locked the door earlier.

"Bella, oh, God, your hands. Mmmmm. _Fuck!_"

I began to stroke and work him to release, still rocking over him and trying to find my own. I licked and kissed his lips, pushing, and urging him to touch me. Releasing his grip on my arms, one of his hands found my breast while the other moved under my skirt, between my legs. We both moaned as his fingers brushed against my wet heat, the sensation of his touch intense in its pleasure.

"_Edward..._ Please!"

"Bella, you're so beautiful. And wet. Your hands feel so good on me. Don't stop."

His hands slid against my wet skin, and he hissed in a ragged breath at the feel of me. He had the fingers of a magician and a pianist. He had fucking magic piano fingers, and I finally had the chance to know what the piano must have felt as he coaxed the notes from within. I sung my own notes as he brought me closer and closer.

"Please, Edward, right there." I gasped. "Oh, Edward! You're hands are...fucking _amazing!_"

After a few minutes of "playing" each other, we moved to the edge of the cliff together, jumping off, and spiraling towards bliss as we came at the same moment. My favorite blouse had been sacrificed to save him from the embarrassing proof of our stolen time together. I collapsed against him, breathing hard and deep. The rise and fall of Edward's chest matched my gasps, and the sound of our breathing was the only noise that filled the room.

"Wow. That was..." I had no words. I refused to feel guilty for what we'd just shared, and as I looked into face his I saw the same determination in those clouded green eyes.

"Yeah, fucking _amazing_."

"Yeah." My forehead was pressed into his shoulder, allowing me to kiss and nibble his collar bone in post-coital bliss.

"Bella?" He whispered into my hair.

"Yes, Edward?"

"Just so you know... I plan on doing that again, many more times over, and in other places than this classroom."

"I fucking hope so, _Mr. Cullen_."

~*~

We collected our clothing that had been thrown around the room, and instead of putting my blouse back on, I walked to my desk where I had put my bag that held the shorts, tank top, and chucks that I'd worn on my ride to work this morning. Edward gave me a strange look, but I explained that I usually change after school for the ride home.

"I wouldn't have figured you for a chucks kind of girl, Ms. Swan."

"It's _Bella_, and I'd bet there's a lot you didn't figure me for... like being able to say 'fuck' and not blush."

"No, I didn't, but I can imagine what else you could do with that mouth of yours."

He pulled me to him and kissed me hard and quickly, tickling my sides as he did. I squealed and squirmed away, using my best teacher voice to admonish him.

"Mmmm. I am so hot for teacher!" Edward teased.

With that, Edward smacked my ass and I swatted his at his arm. We were already so comfortable with each other that it didn't feel like we had just met a little over an hour ago.

As we dressed, I shared my thoughts with Edward about Masen's potential to grow musically with a little special attention from a qualified instructor. I offered to suggest the names of a number of people I knew who would be able to help Masen.

I was surprised when he refused the list.

"That won't be necessary. I'm hoping that you would consider tutoring Masen yourself. I can imagine that you are a busy woman, but I believe that he would benefit best if he continued with your philosophy towards music. I wouldn't want to send him somewhere else only to confuse what he learns there with the progress you are making in class. Plus, _I'd_ like to see_ more_ of you. Will you tutor Masen, Bella?"

Before I knew what I was doing, I was, in fact, agreeing to tutor Masen Cullen twice a week at his father's beachfront condo on Tuesdays and at my house, which also happened to be beachfront, on Thursdays. As it turned out we lived about seven minutes, give or take a few, from each other. A part of me wondered what else I was agreeing to. That thought had me fighting the urge to rip his clothes off and ravish him the way I was fucking dying to.

He stood behind me while I locked up my classroom, his hands sweetly resting on my hips and his face pressed into my hair. He took a deep breath and sighed when he let it out. His next words both touched and surprised me.

"Bella, I've waited a long time for you. You have no idea how long."

I turned to face him and looked both ways down the hall to be sure we were alone. Satisfied that it was just us, I kissed him deeply, acknowledging without words that while I didn't know, I understood.

We walked toward the library to get Masen, and I ached to reach out and hold his hand, to touch him as we passed through the halls, but settled for our arms brushing against each other and stealing knowing glances.

Edward gave his son the opportunity to apologize for Monday. Masen was so sweet, and I told him how proud I was of his progress in class so far, reminding him that I expected a lot of wonderful things from him.

We filed out to the parking lot and told "Little" Cullen about the tutoring sessions. He was ecstatic at the idea of having extra time with his "favorite teacher". _I _was ecstatic about seeing Mr. Edward "Hot Ass" Cullen on a bi-weekly basis. Or more.

Edward asked me where my car was, and I chuckled as I motioned to my blue Harley that was parked next to a beautiful red chopper. His gaze followed where I pointed and his head quickly snapped back to meet my eyes.

"You ride? I would have never guessed."

"Again, Mr. Cullen, there is so much about me you couldn't have guessed."

He handed Masen an adorable little red helmet that had been hanging from one of the handle bars and grabbed a second one that matched it exactly. He looked me up and down before placing a sweet kiss on my cheek.

"Then I suppose I'll need to spend a great deal of time learning all about the_ real _you, Bella."

Grinning ear to ear, I put my own helmet on, stashed my gear in my saddle bags, and climbed on my bike. Edward helped Shorty onto the chopper and then straddled the bike himself. He grinned in that sexy half smirk I loved, and revved the engine playfully.

I revved my bike in response and called out, "Hold on tight, big guy. It looks like it's going to be a wild ride!"

"Don't worry, Ms. Swan, I know how to ride when Dad's driving. He's a good driver; it's Uncle Emmett that scares me." Masen's smile was so much like his father's.

I grinned at Masen's response and winked at him.

"Ahhh. Well, I was talking to your dad. He's in for the ride of his life."

~*~

_**A/N: **__Thank you for reading and reviewing my little fic! A special thanks to all of you who voted for Ride in Nina's D.I.L.F. Contest! It was a lot of fun and a joy to participate in that contest!_

_Are you ready for chapter 2? Here, ya go..._


	2. Hogs and Heels

_**A/N:**__ Quick A/N here, longer one at end of chapter..._

_I am amazed by the response that TRoYL has received so far! Hell, I'm amazed that any of you are reading it at all. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and reviewing and for being so supportive! I love you all!_

_I have thank my beloved friend and Darth Beta, __**Dizzygrl28**__. She dots my "i"s and crosses my "t"s and talks me down from that bridge I threaten to jump off of. I would be literally lost without you Dizzy. I {heart} you!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or anything related to the Twilight Saga, they are all __**SM'**__s. I have recently acquired a MiniWard (aka PocketWard) to go with my Halloween costume. It is a joy to walk around with a little Edward stuffed in your pants. I highly recommend it! ;) And now..._

**Chapter 2- Hogs & Heels**

**EPOV**

What the hell went on at a parent teacher meeting anyway? Fuck if I knew! This was my first. Judging by the tone of voice Masen's teacher had - I think her name was Bella Swan - this wasn't going to be a meeting singing the praises of my son's astonishing intellect; although, the kid _was _smart, just like his old man. I'm not bragging, just being honest.

Regardless, I'd been summoned to her royal highness' classroom today after school to discuss _something_. I fucking hate cryptic messages. She'd mentioned something about Masen's extensive vocabulary and wanting to meet _Mr. Masen's_ parents "finally."

She sounded like a stuck up school marm on the phone. Imagine my fucking surprise when I walked into the room and literally almost walked right into one of the hottest asses I've ever seen bending over in a fuckhot tight skirt...and those heels! _Damn!_ Why didn't teachers dress like that when I had to suffer through this shit? No wonder my son talked about this woman incessantly! Hell, I'd go back to fourth grade just to look at her ass everyday as she stood in front of the classroom. Apparently my dick felt the same way; it was saluting her like she was the damn President of the United States.

It didn't help that she was singing as she swayed that delicious rear in the air. I think it was some variation of "Love Sex Magic". She was mostly humming, but when she got to the hook she sung a filtered version of the too-raunch-for-elementary-school lyrics, so they came out as, "Love, and _Hmm_, and Magic." That was fucking adorable and annoying. I cleared my throat before she rendered me unable to walk. I looked down at Masen who was smirking with a half dazed look on his face. I gave the side of his head a teasing shove, shaking us both free from the hypnotic power of her hips.

Her head snapped up, which only served to push her ass out further, making me even harder. Slowly, she straightened up, and I was surprised to see that she was rather petite- if it hadn't been for the heels she wore, she wouldn't be much taller my son and he's 4'9". Everything about this chick screamed "proper"- well, maybe not her choice of song, but she was professionally dressed and when she turned around to face us she exuded confidence and grace. Her hands flowed over her slight frame, begging my eyes to follow their path, smoothing her waist-long chestnut hair that fell down her back in soft, natural curls. She wore a frilly, deep blue blouse with tiny, almost invisibly small dots on it, and it was-_ fuck me! _ Her blouse was _see through _and she wore a little top under it. Those ruffles, or whatever the hell you call them, around her neck just made her look even more proper and tiny. It fit her perfectly, but paled in comparison to the skinny grey skirt that left no curve to the imagination. How did the boys in this class learn anything? Except maybe Sex-Ed. The heels were the icing on the cupcake. This woman was in a league of her own. I was starting to think I should have listened to my sister and dressed a little nicer. I looked like a sow's ear next to a silk purse- at least that's how my brother Jazz would have described me right about now.

She introduced herself and waited for me to take her hand and tell her who the hell I was. I stammered out my name and something else that, for some reason, embarrassed my son to no end. _Smooth, Cullen. Real smooth._

It was hard to _not _notice her perusal of me. I was used to the looks and interest my tats drew, but having this woman look at them so intently, following the full sleeves of ink that covered my arms, well, it was hot! She didn't seem the least bit intimidated or turned off by the ink- not always the case with my kid's teachers.

Ms. Swan told "Mini Me" to head to the library to work on his homework, and that we'd come and get him after we had a "little chat." Masen walked off in the direction of the library, but not before our customary salute. It's a Cullen man thing. The walking wet dream that was my kid's teacher motioned for me to have a seat in the chair next to the desk. She sat down and crossed her legs reflexively, but the combination of the skirt, the "fuck me" heels, and those perfect legs were more erotic than any move I'd seen a stripper do.

This may have been my first P/T meeting, but something told me that this might not be my last meeting with Ms. Swan... Not, at least, if_ I _had anything to say about that.

Apparently my dick agreed with that thought because it was straining against my jeans, trying to force its way out of my pants and into her.

_Hey, dip shit! Not the best idea to be thinking about where you wanna bury the bologna stick at this moment! Just try to control "the Beast" and get through this meeting without jumping her, okay?_

She cleared her throat, and when I looked at her I could have sworn I caught her ogling the goods. I didn't mind, she could ogle away.

"Mr. Cullen, thanks for agreeing to meet with me today. It's nice to meet at least one of the people responsible for raising Masen. He's an amazing kid, you know?"

I had to smile at that. I knew that kid was awesome. I had no clue to what I had done right in the world to deserve such a fuck awesome kid, but mine he was. From the time he was tiny I knew he was different. Mom says he's a lot like I was when I was younger. That's why the whole family had taken to calling him "Mini Me". He didn't just resemble me either. Our mannerisms were very similar, and his love of all things musical was second only to my own.

I turned my attention to the beautiful woman across from me and thought for the briefest of moments how I could put us on a more intimate level. I'd start by getting on a first name basis.

"Thank you, Ms. Swan. Please, call me Edward. He's _is_ pretty amazing, but something tells me that you didn't just call me in here to tell me how wonderful my son is. You'd mentioned in your message something about an 'incident' that occurred on Monday. It was very cryptic."

I was a rather straight forward person, and didn't _do_ cryptic, but maybe she considered it polite. It's not everyone's idea of small talk to call a parent up and divulge that their kid has the vocabulary of a trucker. Her response was every bit as professional as I had expected.

"Mr. Cull... I mean, Edward. You're right, I asked to meet with you because I wanted to make you aware of what took place and handle it as you and your wife saw best to."

_Wife? Who the hell has a wife in this classroom? Sure as fuck not me! Gonna have to straighten that shit out right away._

I wasn't sure what she was getting at, but I knew her point was coming, at least, I hoped to hell it was.

She continued her explanation of what had happened on Monday. She was so cute and professional as she talked about that brat Mikey Newton and his cohort, the Crowley kid, Josh. I almost lost it when she said, "Purple Nurple". I settled for a cheeky grin at the thought of her telling me rest of the story.

Masen had already come home and told all of us what had happened. He took full responsibility for his actions and took his punishment like a man. I was proud of my son for standing up to those two idiot kids, but not so much of his outburst. A result of his Uncle Emmett's influence, I'm sure, and a side effect of spending most of his free time in the family's chopper shop. Personally, I didn't speak that way around him very often, but Emmett was born without a mental filter and more often than not used language that would make a sailor blush, as did most of our colorful clientele. I didn't have a problem with swearing, but there's a time and place for everything, and I'd prefer for my son to be able to articulate his thoughts sans curses and expletives. If he so chooses to say "fuck" every other word once he has a firm grip on a gentler form of speech, then more fucking power to him. But, not while he's nine, and sure as hell not around his teacher.

The thought of hearing the woman across from me repeat Mason's words had me trying to covertly readjust the situation in my pants, but I couldn't resist the chance to hear her say the words. I leaned in, resting my elbows on my knees, straining to get as physically close to her as I could without touching her, and asked her to tell me_ exactly_ what Masen had said. I was a bit surprised at how thick my voice was.

Something flashed behind those dark chocolate eyes of hers and she raised her head just a tad, proceeding to not only quote Masen's outburst with class and eloquence, but make the words0 "titties" and "fuck off" just as refined. I was shocked that she didn't even wince or blush at the words. It was almost like she was quite familiar with them.

_Hmmm, Teach isn't quite the school marm I thought she was. This one's got spunk._

As I thought "spunk" I immediately thought of cum, and I mentally kicked myself for being such a pervert. I tried to divert my thoughts by trying to see what else I could get this gorgeous woman to say, or do.

She didn't look too happy about something from the way she had crossed her arms, and she had this little crease in between her eyebrows. When Ms. Swan spoke I could tell she was definitely unhappy, almost pissed.

"Yes, he did, and while he wasn't the only one at fault, he _was_ the one who resorted to using foul language in my classroom. I'm not a prude, Mr. Cullen..."

_Not a prude, huh? And what is it going take to get this woman to say my name?_

An image of me pounding her from behind while she was bent over her desk flashed before my eyes.

_That would have her screaming my name, for sure._

While I wanted nothing more than to make that fantasy a reality, I settled for correcting her mistake. The want in my johnson strangled my voice so that my response was more of a growl.

"_Edward._"

I decided then that I wanted to see how far I could take this.

_What "this" are you referring to? Dude, you just met this woman, you don't know her from Jenna Jameson. What is it exactly that you want?_

Her. I wanted her. But, not just in the pervy, sweaty-hot fuck way, either. There was something more to this creature mere inches from my fingertips. I wanted to know it all, and I wanted to know her. I chose to take the high road and start at the beginning by asking to call her by _her_ first name.

"Ms. Swan, may I call _you _Bella?"

Her reply spoke volumes. Not a mere yes, but a breathy plea. Again, I imagined coaching her to beg for other things from me. That thought gave me all the courage I needed to push on. First things first, though; _Bella_ needed to be clear on the fact that there was only one Mrs. Cullen, and_ that_ was my mother. After explaining that Masen was indeed in deep shit for his little outburst from the other day, I told her in no uncertain terms that Jessica, Masen's long absent mother, was well- absent.

I sat back in my chair and chanced a quick glance at the piano in the corner of the room, hoping to quiet the intense feelings that were boiling just under the surface. When I looked back to her they were just as intense. I couldn't help but really look at her. Not like she was a fucking piece of meat, but just look at her, _see_ her. Her hands were slender, with long graceful fingers- definitely the hands of a musician. Her arms were toned, but not overly muscular. The summer sun had brushed her skin with just a touch of color, leaving her porcelain complexion bathed in slight tan. I felt Captain Winkie twitch as I glanced over her perfect breasts under that see through blouse, but quickly continued up her long neck to the chin above. When I settled on her mouth I was mesmerized by its shape and color. I wanted to _know_ those lips, feel them moving over my own.

Apparently my perusal did something to her; I watched her shift uncomfortably in her seat. But I quickly second guessed that thought when the crease reappeared and she suddenly looked unhappy about something. I wondered if I had been too obvious.

Bella continued to conduct our meeting in a very professional manner, complimenting Masen's talent. I was pleased to hear that he was excelling in something that meant so very much to myself, but even if we had never decided to send him to a school that specialized in fostering it's students artistic strengths, I would still know how gifted he was. It was rare for anyone to have his ability, much less anyone his age. He was, in fact, a musical prodigy. Then again, he was in a classroom filled with children who were talented in their own rights, or they would not be here. Yet, here sat this woman, the director of the music department no less, who was trying to convey to me that Mini Me was blowing_ her_ out of the water. I couldn't help but play the part of the proud Daddy for a moment.

"I _am_ very proud of my son, and I have to confess that he probably picked up his less than desirable language from his Uncle Emmett. My brother is a little rough around the edges and tends to overuse crass language around Masen. He has a good heart, but a filthy mouth. Our extended family is very close, so Masen spends a lot of time surrounded by my parents, brothers, and sisters. I'm guessing Emmett's where he learned his most colorful words. Thankfully he has been able to pick up other, more acceptable forms of expression from his other family members."

Ahhh. My giant hulk of a brother, Emmett. He got the brawn in the family. Both Alice and I were dwarfed next to his ridiculous bulk, even as kids he was twice our size. Unfortunately, because of his massiveness, his penchant for foul language, and his- well, _our_ chosen profession, people often mistook him for a big, dumb ox. That was far from true. Em could have just as easily been a biophysicist as a mechanic, but building bikes was what made him tick. Hell, it made us all tick. Our parents weren't entirely pleased to learn of our intentions to go into business with our lifelong friends, Rosalie and Jasper Hale, and open a chopper shop. They had dreams of seeing multiple letters after each of our names, proclaiming us each to be a doctor of this or that. After promising our parents that we would all indeed get higher educations, they relented and even supported our decision to open Eclipse Cycles.

We all attended the University of Florida together, for the most part. Rose, Em, and Jasper were a year ahead of Alice and me. Emmett had earned his Master's Degree of Mechanical Engineering, as did his fiancée, Rose. Alice also earned a Master's degree, but in Graphic design. Jasper always had a head for numbers and focused his efforts on a Master's of Business Administration. I was the odd ball; I had always had a passion for music, not able to go very long without it, and having grown up around a crew of gear heads, I was enamored to all things automotive. So I chose the best of both worlds. I earned a Doctorate of Musical Education, with the hopes of teaching at the collegiate level, in addition to putting my two cents in at the shop. In the end, Mom and Dad got their educational alphabet, and we got our shop.

Three days out of the week I rode into the city to lecture at Jacksonville University where I taught a new generation of aspiring musicians music theory and composition. The other days were spent in the shop with my partners creating fuck awesome custom choppers for our clientele. It always amazed me that I was doing what I loved with the people I loved the most, had the coolest kid in the universe (that's not just an opinion, it's a proven fact), and I lived in a place where the weather was so beautiful it should be a federal crime to not own a bike. There was nothing more that I wanted.

I'd done the marriage thing. That was a disaster, but more because of who I had married, not because of the institution of marriage as a whole. I met Jessica Stanley at UF while I was in the graduate program; she was a beautiful blond with legs that went on for days. We dated for a few years and decided that we were in love and should probably get married. Looking back now I realize that, while I loved Jess and looked forward to a lifetime of growing and loving, she saw me as a stepping stone to the things she wanted in life. We probably would have lasted longer than our four years had she not become pregnant. I'll never forget her crying, sobbing that she'd never wanted to be a mother, that she was too beautiful to allow a baby to mar the perfection of her body. This shattered me because all I had ever wanted was to be a husband and father. After many talks, puddles of tears, and promises that this would be our one and only child, Jess and I welcomed Masen Anthony Cullen into the world. And Jessica left us both four months later.

I didn't try to find her. I figured she had moved back to Washington State where she had grown up. Two months after she left I received divorce papers in the mail along with papers that relinquished all her parental rights to Masen. I wasn't shocked, but I was deeply disappointed. Mostly in myself for having had made such a poor decision about who I would choose to spend the rest of my life with and bare my children- uh, child. I didn't trust myself when it came to women after Jessica. Sure, I dated, had fun with, and even brought a few of them around the family, but I never once saw any of them as anything more than temporary. They were just someone to pass the time with and kill the loneliness that sometimes crept in. That is until the day I walked into that classroom and met Bella Swan.

I looked at the extraordinary woman across from me as she continued our conversation, fighting to focus on what she was saying.

"It seems like Masen's talent is genetic. It would be interesting to see if anyone else in the family possessed hidden talents."

I almost choked at her words. Well, I snorted, actually. I couldn't help myself! The woman had just insinuated that I came from a line of talented individuals. This might have been a harmless statement to most, but this very topic had come up just before I'd left the shop this afternoon to make this meeting.

"_Hey, Em? Do you need me to hold your hand much longer? I've got to get cleaned up to meet with Masen and his teacher about what happened Monday. So you think you can handle the rest of this suspension build on your own?"_

"_Sure, douche bag, I could finish this shit in my sleep, but you sure you don't need me to come with you and hold your dick for you? You know how you get around women..."_

"_What the hell are you talking about, Emmett? And why would you hold my dick? That's just… wrong."_

"_You know what I'm talking about, Eddie. You have a way of repelling the opposite sex. Are you sure you don't need me there to help charm the pants off her, help you hold your dick and all? I could be your wingman! Dude, I could impress her with stories from our college days!"_

"_Which days are you referring to exactly?"_

"_Remember the time we got hammered and did back flips off Mike Newton's second story roof into the pool? Naked? It was two A.M in the morning, his parents were out of town, and the neighbors called the cops. We all got out in time but you were stuck standing on the roof with your frank and beans flopping around! _That _was funny shit!"_

"_How is that story of fuckery past supposed to impress a woman, Em?"_

"_Oh, it won't impress her, but my story telling prowess sure as hell will!"_

_I threw the greasy rag I'd been wiping my hands on at my smart ass brother and flipped him the bird._

"_It's not me you want to fuck, Eddie boy, it's the ladies, remember? See? I do need to hold your dick for you!"_

Judging from the massive hard on I was sporting right then, I would say it was safe to say that I most certainly did NOT need Emmett to hold my dick for me. And fuck me if her blushing didn't make that circus tent of a situation any worse off!

Snorting is not the most attractive sound one can make, so I cleared my throat and simply said, "Yes that _would_ be very interesting." Referring to both the idea of Emmett demonstrating his many _talents_ as well as me demonstrating a few of my own for her.

It was almost as if she read my thoughts when she asked in a fucking innocent as hell voice if I had any hidden talents. Again, the image of me, her, and her desk came to mind. I decided to answer her straight, although it damn near hurt to do so.

"I don't know that they are _hidden_, but I do play the piano and the guitar. I taught Masen to play."

Bella blushed as she asked me to play for her sometime.

_There's no time like the present._

I gave her a knowing look and stood up. God help me, but I couldn't resist brushing her knee with the backs of my fingers; I just had to touch this woman. When I moved to the piano I quoted the sappiest movie I'd ever seen and instantly regretted the, "As you wish," I'd shot over my shoulder at her.

_Em and Jazz would revoke your man card if they heard you saying that shit, you pussy._

The piano was beautiful and very similar to the one I had at home. I wondered briefly what a public school teacher was doing with an instrument of its caliber in her classroom.

Bella moved to a desk closest to the piano as I sat at the bench, she didn't seem the least bit surprised by my impromptu concert.

I didn't put much thought into the piece I would play; I just played the first thing that came to mind. Masen and I had been working on his technique last evening and we were using the familiar "Claire de Lune" to focus on his finger placement and posture. I was a little stunned when I heard her snickering and then question my choice.

Her teasing response when I asked her what was so fucking humorous about Debussy enamored her even more to me.

"Oh. Nothing. It's just... a bit overdone, that's all. You play it well, though. You have good form and _technique_."

_I have good _technique_? What the hell? I have fuck awesome technique and I'm not even referring to anything sexual. If I showed her_ those_ techniques she wouldn't be able to stand for a week. I guess Debussy doesn't do it for her. Well, I wonder if a Cullen original will._

Apparently it did because she never took her eyes off of me as I played "Masen's Song". It was a piece that I had begun to hear from the moment Jess found out she was preggers. It would float through my head in fluid measures and my fingers would tap and stroke over table tops, my jean covered legs, and even air, itching to bring the notes and melody to life, much as Jess' body was doing with our son. For months the composition serenaded my every waking moment as well as my dreams. The day Masen was born was the day the song sang its last note to me.

Every day since I have played that piece, as a way of both giving thanks for its beauty, and also for the beauty of my son. "Masen's Song" calls out to me each time I see him or hear his voice, and the two complement each other perfectly. My greatest joy was listening to Masen play the piece himself. It's as if it came from him, an extension of his humanity. Sometimes I wonder if it wasn't my son who sang this strain to me from his mother's womb; unable to contain the music within him even then. He plays it better than I could ever dream of.

I was acutely aware of her eyes on me, watching my hands as I allowed my son's song to flow out from my soul reverently, prayerfully. If I wasn't mistaken, Bella was as touched by this piece as I was, and that surprised me. Others had heard "Masen's Song", but it usually garnered the expected polite responses that complimented its beauty or the skill with which it had been played. Never had another soul, besides my son, regarded it with the awe _I_ felt so deeply.

She was overcome with admiration when I revealed that I was the composer. Well, we know that's not entirely what I believe, but I wondered if she would understand if I told her the whole truth or consider me a lunatic. I really hoped for the first.

The air was heavy with the weight of the moment, and I did what I do best when things are a bit too intense, I laughed. Then I turned my focus onto the vision that was mere steps from me- three, maybe four at the most.

_Four steps too far away._

When she admitted that she had been impressed, I did the only thing I could; I used that to my advantage and got closer to her. I practically begged her to play for me. She seemed hesitant, so I tried a different approach and mercilessly teased her. She'd been flirting with me throughout the meeting, but in a sweet way, not at all like the Little League and PTA moms. Those women were downright creeptastic. No, Bella's flirting was innocent and endearing, and I took a cue from her playbook.

"I showed you mine, will you show me yours, Bella?"

I wasn't disappointed when she replied, "I'd love to show you mine, Mr. Cullen. I mean, _Edward_." No, not disappointed, but entirely turned on.

I counted each step as she moved towards me.

_One, two, three, four. _

Her heels made the most delicious sound as each step brought her closer to me. I refused to move from the bench, and merely slid over just enough so that she would be forced to sit shoulder to shoulder with me. Our bodies lined up as we sat there- arm to arm, hip to hip, leg to leg. My plan had worked; I was touching this woman, finally.

_Now how to get our lips to do the same?_

Bella never glanced over at me as she sat and began playing. I recognized Vivaldi instantly. He was one of my favorite composers and this piece in particular was challenging to say the least. I knew she was good, she had to be considering her position, but this was something one rarely has the privilege to witness.

_What is this creature doing here in this podunk town, _teaching_? She doesn't belong here. She should be sitting on the most renowned stages of the world's concert halls, playing to houses packed with elite music snobs. Yet, she chooses to be here._

I couldn't take my eyes off her. It was like I was seeing her for the first time since walking into her classroom, and she was breathtaking. I never wanted her to stop playing. I wanted to spend all of eternity listening to this angel bring beauty into the world's miserable existence with her music. When her song did end, I had lost all control of my faculties.

I had to revere her, had to pay her the reverence she and her beauty were due. I gently collected her hand and smoothed it open, bowing to kiss her palm as a pilgrim might reverence a relic. This only fed my need to be close to the woman who had moved me like no other had. My free hand moved of its own accord, slowly moving to cover the heart that touched me so deeply. I could feel it raging beneath my touch, urging me to continue in my veneration.

My lips met the inside of her wrist, finding the pulse point there. She slipped her hand out of mine and the loss of her touch was almost painful. Then, that same hand began to trace the lines of the ink that stained my skin. The only visible evidence of the marks that life had left on my soul. They continued until she held my face in their grasp.

I wanted to kiss her, to feel her against me, but the pussy-two-shoes in me wouldn't dare offend this soul before me. When she leaned in to kiss me my heart hammered to meet the beat of hers, which was still pounding out beneath my hand. Something in me switched as I kissed her back; the hand that rested chastely on her chest shifted to feel the soft flesh of her breast.

_So soft._

I moaned into her mouth as I worked and teased the perfection in my hand. Her hands tangled in my hair, her nails scratching and kneading the skin at the base of my scalp.

As much as I wanted this, I needed to know that she was sure that it was what she wanted as well. I broke our kiss and gauged her reaction to what we were doing. The ardent desire and need, coupled with the lust rolling off her in waves was all the assurance I needed.

Our bodies met with one another, pressing our chests together. To think how ecstatic I had been only minutes before at the feel of our arms touching! Bella stripped me of my shirt, throwing it over her shoulder. She paused as she took in the images that were my story and my shield. They had always protected me from the hurt that I had once suffered. Now they were useless; they held no protection against this woman. I was naked and defenseless before her, and unafraid.

I needed her as bare as I was. I worked to free her from her clothes. That damn top had more buttons on it than the space shuttle! Then, after finally getting the thing off her, my efforts were rewarded with- another top?

_What the hell? Do we live in upstate New York in the dead of winter and I didn't get the memo? Why the fuck is this woman dressed in so many damn layers? Fuck me! _

I actually growled in my frustration. Bella's hands were up and over her head in seconds, and I watched the silky top flutter to the floor where its mate lay. I flashed her a smile of thanks, but the sight of her next to me in the hottest black lace bra I'd ever seen was too much.

She gasped when I grabbed her hips and lifted her small frame easily to sit before me on the keyboard. I winced when I heard the notes cry out against the force of her being pushed down on them. I worried that I had been too rough and hurt her. I opened my eyes to be sure she was all right, her kisses as urgent and hungry as my own. She showed no signs of being in pain, but I rubbed and kneaded the flesh of her hips to soothe away any discomfort she may have felt.

The room echoed with sounds of our passion playing the piano, our moans combining with the notes in a chorus. I imagined my hands playing over the sensitive areas of her body like a keyboard. Her thighs, hips, breasts- all were keys that brought forth a deliciously different sound each time I played them. When I reached her breasts all that stood between me and her perfection was the wisp of lace. I could feel the smooth, soft skin beneath the fabric, and she moaned at my touch. Sliding down the straps, the material fell away from her creamy skin, exposing the transcendence of her beauty. I moaned at the vision before me.

"God, Bella, you're perfect."

The bra was off in an instant and resting somewhere on the floor of the classroom. I had to feel her against me, feel her heart pounding against my own. I stood and crushed her to me; each movement we made brought a new sound out of the instrument below Bella. I needed more. Damn, I need every part of this vision. I worked her skirt up around her hips, kissing and teasing her sensitive flesh as I did. Her nipples were erect and felt like heaven against my lips and tongue. I slid my hands up her bare legs, over the curve of her calves, the swell of her thighs, over her naked hips, and behind her to her ass- delightfully bare as well thanks to the thong she was wearing. I wondered for a brief moment if she always wore fuck hot lingerie.

Just as I was about to remove the one barrier left between Bella and all that I wanted to do to her, we heard a noise outside the classroom. Her reaction was all the confirmation I needed to know for sure that the doors were still unlocked. Bella hid behind me as we each held our breath, waiting for whoever would walk through that door. Silently I prayed it was not my son returning early. After a few moments, the interruption, whatever the fuck it had been, moved on down the hall. I pressed a reassuring kiss to her swollen lips and moved to lock both doors before returning to the woman who waited perfectly poised on the edge of the most spectacularly imagined fantasy.

I knew the door was a sign that we shouldn't be fooling around in her classroom, but damn if I couldn't help myself. Fuck she was beautiful as she stood there in little more than that sexy lace thong.

I wasted no time picking up where we left off, crushing my lips to hers and working to rid her of her panties. She tried to protest between kisses but I wouldn't have it, countering every excuse she had with a solution; I knew she wanted me as badly as I did her. Our hands never ceased the exploration of the others body and she finally relented when I thrust my hips into her, letting her feel my need for her. What happened next between us was easily one of the most erotic experiences of my life. Who knew not having sex could be so much fun?

As I dressed I watched her move around the room. I was a little shocked when she walked over to her desk and retrieved a backpack of clothes. I was even more shocked to see her trade the hot outfit she had worn for our meeting for casual shorts and... _ chucks_! This was a woman after my own heart. She stuffed her clothes in the bag and collected her things. There was talk of Masen getting some special assistance from a private tutor to help stretch his voice, and Bella offered the names of several very qualified prospects. A plan to see much more of this amazing person formed immediately.

"That won't be necessary. I'm hoping that you would consider tutoring Masen yourself. I can imagine that you are a busy woman, but I believe that he would benefit best if he continued with your philosophy towards music. I wouldn't want to send him somewhere else only to confuse what he learns there with the progress you are making in class. Plus, _I'd_ like to see_ more_ of you. Will you tutor Masen, Bella?"

I was thrilled when she agreed to twice a week lessons and I knew Masen would be as well. It turned out that we didn't live all that far away from each other.

We walked to the library to collect Masen and he very sweetly apologized to his beloved teacher. I could completely sympathize with my son's lost heart. Mine was quickly following. The idea of seeing her twice a week had Masen and me on cloud nine.

We all walked out to the parking lot - there weren't many cars left, but the beautiful hog that I'd coveted earlier when I pulled into the lot was still there. It shouldn't have surprised me when Bella announced that it was her bike. Clearly she loved the bike. She mentioned that she'd named it Janis, as in Joplin. It was the perfect shade of blue with white flames emblazoned along the tank. I thought that I'd like to see Bella in that exact shade of blue sometime soon. She climbed on her hog while Masen and I situated ourselves on mine. She called out to us something about holding on tight, and Masen assured her of my fucking stellar driving abilities. Her reply was sharp and cut me to the quick.

"Ahhh. Well, I was talking to your dad. He's in for the ride of his life."

That was it. My heart was hers. My heart, that had been locked up tight behind a wall of ink and stone had just surrendered to a spunky, foul mouthed brunette with a love of music and motorcycles. Yep, this could be love.

**A/N2: Just a little housekeeping, folks.**

A huge shout out to Lee723 for making my new avi. What? You haven't seen him? Go check out my profile! But only after you review! Thanks, bb! I lurve him, and you!

Some of you follow the Forever, Liz blog, and that case you have the advantage, because teacher Bella has a homework question for you readers:

Who did Bella name her hog after?

The answer lies in the real name of the dear reader who made _**Ride **__TWO_ fuck awesome banners last week! ** Kissyourself **did an amazing job on the banners and as a thank you to that sweet lady Bella insisted that the bike be named after her! "Kiss" I could kiss you for these digital works of art, but seeing as you're half way across the globe, I'll have to send you a cyber hug instead: **(((((((HUG)))))) ** Thank you, dearest. Thank you.

Those who correctly answer Bella's homework question get TWO lemons in the next chapter...so- please review and leave you homework there for Bella to grade.

**Lastly: GO REVIEW!** I love hearing what you thought about the storyline. I've had a crazy, emotional week over switching this one shot over to a chapter fic, and I have to say that, for better or worse, you're stuck with me. This baby already has an ending planned and _mostly_ written. Never fear, the chapters between will be numerous! (Wordy Bitch, here!). Thanks for taking this ride with me!

_**Forever, Liz**_


	3. Beaches and Butterflies

_**A/N:**__ Eternal thanks and gratitude to the one person who can make me smile with the simple words, "I'm here, bb!" I love you, Darth Beta, __**Dizzygrl28**__. You make my words pretty and less embarrassing._

_Dear readers, I am overwhelmed, by __**you**__! Your support and encouragement is beyond anything I could have imagined. Thank you all for your kind words, they are addictive, and you're all making me a review h00r. I love you for that._

_I've added goodies for chapter 3 on the blog! There's a link on my profile for them; go and see Bella's home along with some other fun "stuff"._

_Sadly, this is the time when I have to remind myself, and all of you, that these characters are not the musings of my overactive imagination. They sprang forth from __**SM**__, as did all things __**Twilight,**__ but the wild __**Ride**__ they're on is all me, bb! (I __**do**__ take credit the mini lemon at the end of this chappie. It even got__** my **__motor going, and that's saying a LOT! Enjoy.)_

Ch 3-Beaches & Butterflies

~oOo~

Edward called Friday night to check on me and to be sure that I was okay with us having had "almost sex" earlier in the day. Okay? I was _fucktastic_! I told him so. He asked if he could call me Saturday night to talk, that he knew he would want to hear my voice by then. I easily agreed, knowing I would be feeling the same way in twenty-one hours.

We flirted a little on the phone Friday, whispering favorite moments from our "music lesson" as he called it. He'd asked me what had been the turning point for me. I paused to consider that. For me?

"The instant your 'magic piano fingers' touched my knee, that's when. That was fucking _hot_!"

"Really? That did it for you, huh?"

"Hell, yes!"

"Well, if I had known that, I would have just cut to the chase and taken you over your desk like I'd wanted to from the moment I walked into your classroom."

I feigned shock. This was too much fun to just let the moment pass.

"Edward! You're kidding right?"

"Uh, hell no. From the moment I walked through the door and saw your ass in the air, it took every ounce of my concentration to not visualize bending you across that desk and taking you from behind. You made quite a first impression, Bella."

I could hear the smile in his voice egging me on, and I played along because I wanted to see him squirm a little.

"You really should have just done it, Edward."

"With Masen standing right there? I don't think that's what the school system had in mind when they envisioned Sex-Ed. It's definitely not mine."

"You had your chance when he left and you still didn't take it. Do I intimidate you?"

"Not really, but I do have some sense of propriety, Bella. I didn't even have a clear idea that you were interested in me, for cripes sake! What would that have been like if I had flung you across the desk only to have you scream 'rape'?"

I had to laugh at the turn our conversation had taken. I decided to let him off the hook.

"Okay, fine then, when did_ you _realize that you would act on what you were feeling?"

"When you sat next to me, after you played. I had to touch you, but I knew that if I did I wouldn't be able to stop. I wondered all afternoon whether or not I'd made a huge mistake and fucked up the one chance I had with the most amazing woman I have ever met. Are you sure you're all right, Bella? I know I've asked you this a dozen times now, but I need to know for certain that you're really fine with what happened between us this afternoon."

I was touched by his admission and wanted him to be comfortable with what had transpired only hours earlier. Hours... It seemed like days, weeks ago. Sure, having our first sexual encounter twenty minutes after first meeting one another wasn't how I usually rolled, but this was an exception, not the rule. _This man_ was the exception.

Granted, I doubt that I will ever be able to sit at that piano again without picturing him seated there, playing it and then finger fucking me, but I wouldn't trade what had developed between us. This shit will sound corny as hell, but something cosmic had taken place in classroom 416 that day. And, I'm _not_ referring to the orgasms. I had felt Edward's soul speak to my own, and mine responded.

"Edward, I need you to understand something, regardless of where this thing between us goes, I do not now, nor will I ever, regret what we did this afternoon. I believe that it was more than a tryst in a forbidden place, with a forbidden partner. We are consenting adults who are very attracted to one another. Albeit, you _are_ the father of one of my most promising students, and we _did_ have mind blowing, non-sex in my class room."

"Mind blowing, non-sex _on top of the piano_ in your classroom."

"Yes, Edward, thank you for clarifying that point for me. Mind blowing, non-sex on top of my piano in the classroom; that is correct. My point is that, while there are things we need to work out, I for one would like to try to work them out. See where this 'thing' goes. Are you in?"

"Well, I could be _in_ if you gave me directions to your beach house. I _am_ only a few minutes down the road from you..."

"Edward, don't tempt me. Just answer my damn question, please."

"Yes, Bella. I'm in. I fucking want to see where we can take this. I'm a little concerned about Masen, I have no idea how he'd react to me seriously seeing someone, much less his beloved first crush. I'm going to have to think about how to handle this with him."

I was worried about Masen, too, but I had a pretty good feeling that he'd actually be okay if he knew that his dad and I were seeing each other. I still didn't think that he needed to know about us this early on; hell I didn't even know if there _was _an "us"!

"Honestly, Edward, I really don't think you need to tell him anything right now. I mean, what _is _there to tell him? That we got each other's rocks off in the classroom, on the very piano he has to sit at and play each day? Yeah... No. I don't think that warrants his being informed. I think that, for now, we should just keep quiet about this... this…whatever this is or becomes... or doesn't. When we know more ourselves, _then _we can let him in on it. That's just my opinion. You're his dad and you know what's best for him, so I will, of course, go along with however you decide to deal with telling or not telling Masen. About us. Or not. You know what I mean."

I was babbling. It was something I did only when I was really flustered. Talking about the possibility of Edward and I trying to have a relationship, or whatever the fuck we might have, had me all verclempt. Throw in the fact that he had a kid (it bears repeating that said kid was my student), not to mention that I kept having all these flashing visuals of our time together this afternoon- his hands on my thighs, his mouth moving over my breasts, my hands on his ginormous…

"Bella? Are you still there? You're awfully quiet all of a sudden. Do I need to come down there and check on you?"

Now he was teasing me, and fuck me if I didn't love every syllable of it. Ah, hell, fuck me any way, _please_!

"I'm here, just thinking, that's all. Sorry, Edward, but I didn't hear what you had said before I spaced out. Repeat it please?"

"Sure, hon. I was agreeing with you. I think Masen is on a need to know basis, and right now, this isn't information he needs to know. What about my nosey ass family? Bella, these crazy fuckers will be all over this. I think that I'm just going to keep this to myself for a while. Are you okay with that? I don't want you to think that I'm hiding you or ashamed in any way. Because, if you do then I'm calling a fucking sky writer right now and having that shit emblazoned across the coast line first thing tomorrow morning!"

He laughed at his own joke. I thought his enthusiasm and intensity were adorable. I just wanted to wrap my arms around his neck and kiss every ounce of insecurity away. And my legs. I wanted to wrap my legs around his neck, too, but that would have to be for another time.

_God, I hope there's another time! Please, please let there be another time!_

"No, I think you're right. We should just... Keep this to ourselves. For now. When there's something to tell, we will. Agreed?"

"Agreed. Now when the fuck can I see you again?"

"Whoa! Eager much, big guy?"

"Uh, hell yes! You think I'm kidding, but I'd be there in five minutes if you just say the word."

Oh, god, how I wanted to say the word! What would the word be? I was going to have to work on that...

"Well, as tempting as that sounds - and believe me you have no idea how tempted I am - I'm going to have to say that the next time we see each other will be at Masen's lesson on Tuesday."

Edward groaned like a rabid bear. I had to pull the phone back from my ear it was so loud.

"I can_not _wait to see you until Tuesday. I just can't, Bella. That is too far away. Isn't there any way I can see you before then, what about after school on Monday?"

"There is no school on Monday, brainiac. It's Labor Day. What about this weekend, maybe we could spend some time together tomorrow?"

"Did you just call me stupid? And, I can't tomorrow, the shop is swamped. I'm going to be there from sun up to sun down. Sunday?"

"No, I called you a _brainiac_. It was better than my other option which was 'fucktard', and yes, Sunday. We'll get together on Sunday."

"Oh, sweet baby jeebus! You sound so much like my sisters right now, and they are a fucking handful. I'm in so much trouble with you, aren't I?"

"You have no idea, mister."

"How about dinner Sunday?"

"Okay, I propose... that you come over Sunday and I'll cook us something simple. That way we can hang out and get to know one another a little better. How's that sound, Edward?"

"Sounds like Sunday is too far away, but it also sounds like a fuck awesome plan to me. I'll get Mom to watch Masen; he can have a little Gram and Pops time."

We hung up the phone after Edward promised to call tomorrow so he could get directions and set up a time. It was late, almost midnight, and I was nowhere near tired. I was too keyed up to even think about sleeping, so I headed to my office and took out some papers that needed to be graded before Tuesday. I plugged the iPod into the sound system and the entire house was instantly filled with the sounds of Chopin.

Time flies when you're grading and annotating compositions, well it did for me. It was always easy for me to flip back and forth between grading Math quizzes and making suggestions on the different compositions my students were required to write as part of their music ed. Of course my favorite part of teaching was the music. If a stranger asked me what I _was_ I'd say a musician, but if they asked me what I _did_ then I would say I taught extremely talented musicians how to become better musicians. I loved both aspects of myself.

I taught the other subjects simply because I loved what I did and I adored my students, and it was part of the job description. Besides, teaching a classroom of fifteen highly gifted fourth graders was a fuckton more interesting to me than flying from concert hall to concert hall across the world, performing like a trained monkey while hoidy-toidy rich sons-of-bitches feigned to love me and wish me well. I knew more love in my little classroom of fifteen students than I could if I flew around the world fifteen times and played in fifteen thousand concert halls. Teaching and music were my loves, my life. And it was a pretty damn good life.

I looked to the wall of pictures that hung across from me in my office. There, gazing back at me were the faces of all the people I loved, except for one. I still couldn't hang _her_ picture anywhere. As much as I loved her, it hurt too much to see her face and be reminded of how much had been lost.

_If only it were a perfect life..._

I shook off the impending sadness, I couldn't think about that part of my life right now. It was too late, and I'd only end up a quivering snot fest. I needed to finished the papers and have the rest of my long weekend to myself. I'd let myself rememberTheresalater, and mourn her all over again, just as I always did whenever I let myself think too much about the past and what could have been.

I continued grading; time and past hurts forgotten. Mr. Darcy shifted where he lay under the desk at my feet. His broad head poking up and resting in my lap.

_Time for a break._

"You need to go out, big guy? Okay, mama needs a break, too. Let's go."

Mr. Darcy, or Darcy as I usually referred to him, was named after my favorite Jane Austen hero, and was my beloved companion, protector, and bane of my existence. He was my American Bulldog, aka: Pit bull. I refused to refer to him as the latter, because there was nothing about this animal that remotely resembled the image and persona that the term "Pit Bull" conjured for most people. To be honest, most of the animals of this breed were the same way. It was their owners and breeders that were to blame for the terrifying image they had. Darcy had never even snapped at a mosquito, and God knows he had good reason to. Those little fuckers were nasty, and they could get as big as humming birds around here.

Mr. Darcy was the perfect gentleman, that is when he wasn't gnawing holes in my favorite pair, okay my _only_ pair, of Manolo Blahnik's, or chasing Chaucer, the cat, around the house. For the most part he was the perfect pet; ridiculously well behaved and _calm_. Who could blame the beast for having impeccably good taste in high-end foot wear? Not me. I just started keeping them in a box on the top shelf of the closet, is all.

I got up to let Darcy out one last time for the night. I was going to bed and so was he. A glance at the clock reminded me how late it really was.

_One-thirty in the morning? _

"All right, Darcy, let's get this over with and into bed. I'm beat."

Darcy did his business and bounded back up the stairs to the back door where I stood on the deck looking out at the lights across the water of the dark inlet. My mind wandered to the afternoon spent with Edward and I sighed deeply. Darcy looked up at me questioningly, cocking his head to one side.

"Don't worry, big guy, you'll meet him soon. I promise."

We headed back in, Darcy following me as I secured the house for the night and set the alarm. Chaucer joined us and we formed a parade of sorts as we wove through the rooms. I paused to tinker with the keys on my baby grand, an exact copy of the one in my classroom. I could almost see Edward and I here, in my house, making "music" on _this _piano. The idea sent tingles through my body.

Once upstairs, the animals made their ways to their respective beds while I changed and snuggled under the covers of my own. I was immediately hit by how tired I truly was. Muscles exhausted, mind spent, and body ravished; I drifted off to sleep with thoughts of my fuck awesome new bike, and the fuck awesome man I had met, and well, almost fucked today.

It had been a good day. It had been a fuck awesome day.

~oOo~

I awoke to the sun streaming into my room.

_Damn!_ _I must have been so exhausted last night that I didn't bother to lower the blinds!_

Reaching over to my night stand I felt around for the remote. After finally finding the damned thing I pressed the button that would lower the automatic shades. The motors whirled quietly as the room grew dim and finally almost black.

_That is the best fucking invention man has ever fucking made, and the best investment I ever made. Well, that and my piano_.

I managed to sleep for about another hour before Darcy insisted it was time to get up. The day continued as any other Saturday would: simple breakfast, straighten up the place a bit, going for a run on the beach with the mutt, letting him swim for a few minutes, back across the street to the house for lunch, and then grading the rest of the papers I had left.

My iPhone chirped while I was sitting in the sand watching Darcy play in the waves, and I pulled it out, shielding the screen from the bright sun to see who had texted me.

_Edward Cullen (Text)_

My heart pounded in my chest as I pressed the screen to read the message.

_Hey, beautiful. Thinking about you as I work on this rear suspension. Wish it was *your* rear suspension I was working on. I'll call you tonight. ~E_

Kings of Leon were blaring in my ears, and I literally jumped up and did the fucking happy dance. It must have been something to see because everyone around turned to look at the spaz with a great ass (or so I'd been told) jump up and start to wiggle said ass while turning circles in the sand. Darcy was attracted by the excitement and ran from the waves over to join in the festivities. He started jumping up around me doing his own version of the dance. Noticing the confused looks I was getting, I decided to call it a morning and get us both back to house before someone called the Crazy Cops. Besides, I was itching to ride Janis again. I snickered out loud at how that sounded in my head. Maybe it wasn't the best plan to name my hog after a chick?

_Who gives a fuck? I know what I meant._

Still, it did sound pretty funny.

Just as I was walking out the door to go for a ride, the phone rang. The house phone. Only one person called me on that number, my mother, Renee. God, I loved that woman, but she had shit for timing! I could just ignore the call, go for my ride, and call her when I got back, but I knew there would be twenty-five messages waiting for me when I returned, not to mention if I didn't answer the house phone she'd just start calling the cell. While I wasn't opposed to my iPhone buzzing away in my pocket, the effect was somehow lost knowing it was my _mother_ calling. I gave in and just answered the damn phone.

"Hey, Mom. How are you?"

"Oh, Bella! I didn't expect you to answer. I thought you'd be out riding that new toy you bought."

My pervy mind went to thoughts of toys of a different kind, and quickly shifted to me riding my new favorite toy, Edward. I shook off the image of me riding him and focused on getting my mother off the phone.

"Um...no, Mom, not yet. I was walking out the door to do just that when you called. What's up?"

"Well, your step-dad, Phil, and I were hoping you might want to ride that bike up our way and let us see it, and then maybe we could all grab a bite to eat for dinner and a beer?"

"Hey, Mom?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"Why do you always tell me who Phil is?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Bella?"

"You don't even realize when you're doing it, do you?"

I had to chuckle at my mother sometimes. She could really do some ditzy things.

"Mom you_ do_ realize that every single time you refer to Phil you remind me that he's my frigging step-father, and that his name is Phil, right?"

"I have no clue what you're talking about, Bells. I do no such thing."

"You do! You just did it earlier! You said, 'Your step-dad Phil and I were hoping you might want to ride that bike up our way...' I swear you did! But, why do you do it, it drives me a little crazy. You two_ have_ been married for twelve years now; do you really think I need to be reminded who the man is?"

I was giving her a hard time. Part of me really wanted to know why she did it because that shit was annoying, but another part of me was just trying to get a reaction from her. It's how our family worked. We weren't very affectionate, so we showed each other love by aggravating the fuck out of each other. Mom didn't catch on this time, though.

"Isabella Sawn, how the hell am I supposed to tell you why I do something that I don't even know I'm doing? Sometimes I wonder about you, girl."

"Whatever, Mom. Listen, about today, I really can't. I'm expecting an important call later, so I was just going for a short ride and then home to give Darcy a bath. He's gross from the dip in the ocean he took today. Sorry."

"Well, we understand. Your step-fa... Oops. I was about to say it again, wasn't I? I see what you mean, sorry honey. Anyway, I was just saying that _Phil _and I were looking forward to seeing you and that gorgeous new hog of yours. We miss you, sweetie; any idea when you'll be up our way?"

"Maybe Monday, Mom. Would that be okay?"

"That would be great, Bella. I'll let you go and talk to you later. Have a nice ride, and be careful!"

She could be such a_ mom_ sometimes!

~oOo~

The rest of the afternoon was beautiful. I went for a long, slow ride down A1A. The beach access was open so I decided to cruise along the beach for a while. I had taken off my helmet and had one of my ear buds in, listening to Ron Pope's "Virginia" as I rode north up the beach. North. Edward was north. I knew I couldn't ride that far up the beach; the vehicle access ended a ways before his condo complex, but just knowing I was drawing closer to him with each turn of the wheels brought me comfort, peace. I came to the end of the vehicle access area, and I pulled over in the soft sand, out of the path of what little traffic there would be this far up the coast. I sat in the sand in front of bike, my knees bent pointing up to the sky, and my elbows resting comfortably on them. My attention focused on the view before me as I stared out over the crashing waves. For the second time today I found myself sitting on the beach thinking about Edward Cullen.

Who was he? He seemed like a jumble of contradictions. He had a hard as steal exterior, but with a soft, caring soul; a smart ass whit, yet sincere and intense emotions. I was frustrated because just like earlier, I felt like I'd known this man so much longer than the mere twenty-six hours and forty-three minutes I had actually known him for. But, who's counting? There was so much I wanted to know about him, but was this all moving too fast? Were we even doing the right thing? I had too many questions swirling around in my head, just as my hair swirled about it in the sea breeze. My hands filtered the pink sand through my fingers, the larger fragments of shells remaining trapped in my grasp.

I looked down the beach in the direction of his condo. I wondered what he was doing, then I remembered that he was probably still at the family's Bike Shop.

I'd known that Masen's family had a custom chopper business. Hello? I _am_ "Bikeralla! Oh, I knew what some of the facility called me behind my back. It didn't bother me, I actually like the nickname. So of course I knew one my students had a connection to motorcycles, not to mention I'd seen Masen dropped off at school many times. Sometimes he rode up on the back of a fucking amazing bike, other times he would hop down from a variety of monstrous SUV's, all with the "Eclipse Choppers" logo emblazoned across the back window. It seemed like I saw that decal everywhere these days, and Masen's backpack had Eclipse patches sewn all over it. It didn't take much to figure out what his family did for a living, but I had been under the impression that his dad was some sort of professor at JU. Edward was certainly educated, his manner of speech was proof of that, but those hands of his had been slightly rough and scratchy as they slid over my bare skin. Deliciously so. Not to mention the tats; most professors didn't have body art like that. So which was it? Or was it both? I started a mental list of things I wanted to talk to him about, ask him about, and learn about him.

I sighed as I looked back over the water. I brushed the sand off the tops of my chucks and pushed myself off the warm pillow of sand. Traces of the grit clung to the back of my shorts and I patted them clean. I wasn't going to get my answers sitting here staring out into the abyss. No, the answers I wanted lie with a man further north. A man I desperately wanted to speak to. My phone vibrated, and I fished it out of my pocket, only to see the name of the very man I needed to talk with, and the flag:

_Edward Cullen (Missed Call)_

_(Message)_

I touched the screen to retrieve the message. A smile spread across my lips as I heard his voice.

"_Bella, its Edward. I was just calling like I said I would. I'm still at the shop, but thought I'd give you a quick call and see how your day's been so far. I'll probably call you tonight around nine or so, after I get Masen fed and settled for the night. I love your message, by the way. I may hang up and call back, just so I can hear it again. Damn, that sounded a tad stalker-ish. I swear I didn't mean it like _that_, Bella. Fuck! You could probably read the phone book to me and I'd like it. A lot. Oh, god, I'm rambling! Anyway, I should probably get back to work. Sorry about the crazy message. I promise I'm not insane. Talk to you later, if you even answer the phone after this fucktard of a message. Okay, bye."_

Straddling my bike, I tucked the phone back in my pocket and had grabbed my helmet. The ride home would be much quicker. I had work to do before a certain someone called, and I needed to decide what we'd be having for dinner. Dessert was already decided on, but dinner first.

~oOO~

By the time nine o'clock rolled around I was positively humming from the anticipation of his call. I'd used the excess energy to my advantage; I washed the sand and salt off Janis, gave my beast of dog a bath, planned Sunday night's' dinner _and_ made a shopping list, washed and folded all my laundry, straightened up the house again-paying special attention to my bedroom where I changed the sheets and scrubbed the bathroom, and finally took a shower myself. Even after all that work I was still a ball of nerves when my phone rang with Edward's new personalized ringtone, "Talk Dirty to Me" by Poison. I actually squealed when I heard it. Fucking squealed.

I took deep breath, well- maybe it was 5 deep breaths, and answered the phone as calmly as I could.

The conversation started out with the usual niceties. How was your day? What did you do? Anything exciting happen?

We talked about Masen briefly. Edward told me again that he spent a lot of time in the shop with the family.

"What does he do down there all day? Doesn't he get bored just hanging around?"

Edward's adorable, yet sexy as hell chuckle hummed in my ear.

"You really need to meet my family. No, Masen is never bored at Eclipse. Between my exceedingly entertaining family members, the copious amounts of attention he receives when there, the fact that he's incorporated into every aspect of the chopper business, and the array of gaming systems in the office, no he's never bored. There are nights that I have to drag him out to go home, or carry him out because he's fallen asleep on the couch, controller in hand."

I was graced with another one of his melodic laughs. How did he affect me so deeply with such a small thing?

"It's nice that you include him in the operations of the shop. He must love being able to spend that much time with you."

_I know I would..._

"What was that, Bella?"

"Excuse me?"

_There's no way I said that out loud. Please say I did _not _say that out loud!_

"Uh, I thought you said something, but I couldn't make it out."

"Oh, it was nothing, just thinking out loud, I guess. Sorry."

By this time I had made my way to my room to talk with Edward from the comfort of my bed. I was dying to hear his voice while I laid there cocooned amongst my sheets and comforter, and I snuggled deeper into the fluff of bedding. There was an awkward pause for several heartbeats before he asked again, "So, what _did_ you say just then?"

"Really, Edward, it was nothing."

"UmmHmm. I'll let it go. For now."

I could almost _hear_ his smirk.

"So, Bella... Are you looking forward to our dinner tomorrow? I know I am."

"I have everything _all _planned, Edward."

"You didn't answer my question, love. Are you excited about tomorrow night?"

"That, sir, is an entirely different question from the first one you asked me, but I'll be nice and answer them both, if you promise to answer one for me."

"Of course I will, but answer mine first, please."

"All right, yes and yes. Now, I would like to kn-"

"_Whoooaaa_! Wait a minute, what was that? What kind of answers were those? 'Yes and yes!' Ph-lease, missy! You have to do better than that if you want me answering any questions you have! Now, try again, this time in complete sentences, Ms. Swan."

His chastising tone had me snickering into the phone. I put him on speaker, laying the phone on my chest, and tucked one hand behind my head while I played absentmindedly with a strand of hair with the other.

"My, aren't we bossy tonight? Okay, complete sentences, huh? Why, yes, Edward I am looking forward to our dinner tomorrow! And, I am equally excited about tomorrow night. Does that suffice? They _were_ complete sentences..."

"Ms. Swan, I am shocked! Have you never been schooled on the evils of plagiarism? That was a blatant thievery of words."

"I am well aware of the evils of plagiarism, Mr. Cullen. You could school me in other areas, though, if you so desired... I'm a fast learner."

"I bet you are, Bella, and there are a plethora of things I'd love to teach you."

Edward's voice had instantly switched from playful banter to smexy. I easily matched his tone with my own when I answered him.

"Just what did you have in mind, _teacher?_"

I heard a muffled groan come from his end of the line. I could picture him stifling his voice with a pillow, and the thought of him in his bed while I was in mine caused a wet spot form in my boy shorts. Damn, this man did things to me!

"Edward, are you there?"

"Uh, huh."

It was my turn to smirk. I decided that it was time for the man who had not so long ago tempted me to talk dirty to him to return the favor. I thought I'd start us off on the right note...

"_Edward...'_

"Yes, Bella?" His voice was strained and thick.

"What is it that you want to teach me?"

He inhaled a sharp breath, and released it long and slow.

"There are so many things I want to teach you, Bella. You have _no_ idea."

"Tell me, Edward. Tell me what you want to show me."

"_Ughhh_, Bella you're killing me with that voice!"

"Really? What is it my voice is doing to you? _Tell me_."

"It's making me hard, Bella. So hard. _Ughh_,"

"Are you in your bed, Edward?"

"Yes, Bella. Are you?"

"Uh, huh. I'm here laying in my bed, thinking about you laying there in yours. Hard. Are you touching yourself, Edward? Tell me."

"No. Yes. Not really, I'm just so hard, thinking about you in your bed... it just- ugh!"

"Do it, Edward, and tell me what you're doing. I want to hear what thinking about me does to you. _Please?_"

"Bella, I don't know..."

"Teach me, Mr. Cullen. Imagine that I'm there, that it's my hand feeling you, and you're telling me what you need, teaching me how to touch you."

"Oh, Bella."

I could picture him releasing himself from his boxer briefs and running his hand down his length.

"I'm here, Edward, tell me what I'm doing..."

"You have your tiny hand wrapped around me, and you're gently stroking me; it feels so good, but it's not hard enough."

"What do you need, baby? What do I need to do?"

"Harder, Bella, stroke me harder. Uh, yes, like that."

The wet heat between my legs was growing, and I was dying to touch myself the way he was. My hand brushed across my breast as I rolled on my side, and I moaned at the sensation of my pert nipple through my thin cotton tank.

"Oh, Bella, that sound, I love that sound; I dream about it all night and fantasize about it all day. Please, baby, let me hear you, too."

I moaned not because he has requested it, but from the tension I felt building throughout my body. I reached across my bed to the side table drawer for my "goodie bag". I unzipped it and found my birthday present from my perverted coworkers, "The Butterfly", or "Sky Dancer" as I called it, and laid it on the bed next to me.

"Edward, talk to me..."

"Touch yourself, Bella."

I wasn't about to argue with the man. "Where, Edward? You have to tell me exactly what you want me to do."

"Are you wet? Ugh, I bet you're so wet... touch yourself and tell me how wet you are."

I did as he told me, and slid my hand down my body. My fingers slipped between my legs and found the wet heat Edward was desperate to feel, and I mewled as I imagined his hands in place of my own.

"Oh, Edward. I _am _wet, very wet, I need you to feel me; I need to feel you."

We exchanged pants and moans as we worked our own bodies, each imagining the other's hands over sensitive skin. Rubbing and stroking.

Somehow we switched tactics, and in between pants he started telling me what he was doing to himself and I was telling him the same.

"Bella, you feel so good... uh, your hands, stroking, pumping me… uh, I'm close."

I reached for the toy that lay next to me and pressed the buttons to set it in motion. He heard the hum of the tiny motors and groaned.

"Is that a vibrator? Fuck me, Bella! Are you using a vibe right now?"

"I was about to; is that okay?"

"Fuck, yes, it's okay! That's unbelievably hot. Talk to me, tell me what you're doing..."

"Well, it has two parts - one that penetrates, and the other mimics your thumb. I love the fucktastic things it does to my lady bits."

"What 'bits' would those be, _exactly_?"

He really liked hearing me talk dirty, and I aim to please.

"My clit, Edward. Your thumb is rubbing my clit and your massive dick is buried deep inside me."

"Bella! I'm close..."

"Me, too, Edward, I'm right here with you."

We exchanged a few more breathy moans and cries before we both came, our release in unison with one another. The air was thick with our pants and afterglow.

"Bella."

"Hmmmm. Yes, Edward? That was fucking hot."

"I know, and I can't wait to do that to you in person. I hope you have something like that worked into your plans for tomorrow night."

I chuckled at his request; he had no clue how close to the truth he was.

"Yes, s_omething_ like that."

He whispered sweet, erotic nothings in my ear, and I slipped into a slumber filled with dreams of all the things I had planned for Edward and I to do to one another.

_**~oOo~**_

_**A/N:**__ Bella's homework for Chapter 3- __**What was Bella's name for her, um... toy?**__ That, BTW, is from the mind of my beloved Beta. It was __**Dizzy**__ who came up with the name for Bella's favorite fun time play thing. Yet another reason to love this fuck awesome woman. _

_Now, please go review and leave your answers for Ms. Swan to grade._


	4. Masen's Music Lesson & Meeting Mr Darcy

**A/N:** I will not apologize for the tardiness of this behemoth of a chapter. Sorry. Wait, did I just apologize? _Damn!_ Well, it is what it is, and at over 11K before A/Ns I have reason for this beast to be late. I hope it was worth the wait.

The story line is moving along nicely, and things are about to pick up, so enjoy the ride!

Eternal gratitude and love to Darth Beta, **Dizzygrl28,** you have no idea what I have planned for you when I finally meet you in person, lady. Be prepared. Us, Vegas, Twilight...Oh, hell, no!

Special thanks to **AutumnDreamer** and **BQOTFU** for pre-reading, giving amazing insight, and encouragement.

Shout out to my TWINSIE,** Lee723**. At long last, REUNITED!

**Lastly, it pains me to admit that I do not own these characters or absolutely anything related to Twilight; that's all SM's. OH!! But I do now own a sixteen month RPatz calendar that I drool over daily! :slurp: I DO own the crazy things these kids are doing, JSYK.**

**Playlist:** "Supermassive Back Hole"- Muse, "Put Your Hands on Me"-Joss Stone, "Solo Por Ti"- Josh Groban, "Closer"-Kings of Leon, "Touch My Body"- Mariah Carey, "The Headlights on the Highway"- Ron Pope

**Ch4- Masen's Music Lesson & Meeting Mr. Darcy**

**~oOo~**

**EPOV**

I stood there in front of the bike lift, elbow deep in grease, working on an engine build for a fucktastic bike Alice had designed for one of our high profile clients. That little hellion on wheels could really come up with some unbelievable designs.

I looked at the clock on the wall and noticed that Mini Me should be bounding into the shop any minute now. Rose had offered to pick him up so I could get a little further along on this build before I had to call it quits for the night. It was Tuesday, and Masen's first private lesson with Bella. She would be coming by later in the afternoon. If I thought I was excited over the idea that in just a few hours, Bella Swan, fucking hottest teacher EVER, would be in our condo in T minus three hours, I had nothing on Masen.

The hurricane that was my son blew in through the open garage door and nearly careened head first into me.

"Whoa, there! Where's the fire? At the speed you're going you're bound to end up in the ER before dinner! Where are you headed in such a hurry?"

"Dad! You _know_ where I'm going. I've got a ton of homework, and want to get it all done before _tonight_!"

He looked at me knowingly, raising his eyebrows to emphasize the fact that something very significant was happening this evening. I didn't have the chance to tease my son about what he was referring to; his Uncle Emmett beat me to it.

"Hey, what's the big deal about tonight, Mini Me? Is there a Power Rangers marathon on or something?"

"What? What the heck are you talking about, Uncle Emmett? And what's a Power Ranger? You can be so weird sometimes..."

"Well, if not the Power Rangers, then is it Pokemon? No, maybe it's...wait is this about a _girl_? Do you have a _date_, Little Man? Woot! Look at our boy, all growed up and crushin' on the females! That's my boy!"

Emmett raised his fist for the Cullen bump only to be denied and glared at by his nephew.

"Shut it, Uncle Em! I do not have a crush on any_ girls_! That's just gross. All they wanna do is make kissy faces at you, and everybody knows that's how you get Swine Flu."

"Ph-lease! You don't get Swine Flu from kissing _girls_, Masen! You get it from kissing

_pigs_!" Emmett roared at his own, sad joke while Masen and I just eyed him, not amused.

"Yeah, I guess that's a good thing for you, Uncle Em, 'cause Rose would already be dying from H1N1 with as much as you and her are attached at the lips. Seriously, dude, that's just gross."

Mini Me had just succeeded in both calling Emmett a pig _and_ calling him on his less than subtle relationship with one of our business partners. I fist bumped the youngest Cullen man, congratulating him on holding his own with his ass of an uncle.

"Ooooo! Burn! Good job, Masen. Look, he's speechless, man! I think this may just be a first in the Eclipse Chop Shop! Attention everyone! Masen has stunned Emmett into silence. The big oaf has no response. I declare Masen Anthony Cullen the dominator of the Trash Talk War!"

"Whatever, little boy. Come and talk to me when you're a man! Then we'll see how gross you think it is." Em tried to recover, but the battle had been won, and Masen was the clear victor. I raised his hand in the air like a prize fighter and circled the garage floor with him. He laughed, and I looked down at the little man at my side. That sound was my favorite sound in all the world. Nothing even came close to it.

_Nothing, Cullen? _ Nothing?_ Not even Bella screaming your name as she shudders around you?_

I was instantly back in Bella's bed, pressed against her kitchen counter, seeing her perched on her piano. I shook off the images and sounds from the last time we were together. I had to admit that, in the past few days, a lot had changed in my life, this minor detail of my favorite sound being one of them. I'd admitted as much to myself.

_Okay, fine. Masen's laughter is_ one _of my favorite sounds._

Lately there are other sounds that I had come to highly favor and prefer, and any sound that passed those naughty lips of Ms. Swan was at the top of the list.

"Dad? Dad! Earth to Dad! Where did you go?" Masen waved his hand in front of my face, jumping up to try to reach high enough to do so.

"Oh, I was just thinking about dinner."

"Well, I'm going in the office to get some homework done before we leave. What time are we leaving?"

I'd never, in all his years, ever seen Masen eager to leave the shop. He had it bad. Just like his old man.

"We'll leave around five."

"Okay, sounds good, I'll be in the office."

I watched the youngest member of the Cullen clan as he climbed the stairs and sequestered himself in the room that overlooked the entire garage. The windows that enclosed the joint office were more like glass walls than windows and allowed me to keep an eye on him without ever having to leave what I was doing. Occasionally I would glance up to see him flipping through a text book, that same furrow in his brow that I get when I'm concentrating, creasing the spot above his eyes. He amazed me, not solely because of his talent, but by just_ being_. He was the best thing I had ever done. For all the things Jess and I had fucked up together, he was the one thing we had done right.

I went back to work on the bike in front of me, looking up when I hear the familiar snickering of my fucktard of a brother.

"What are you laughing at you knob?"

"You. I'm laughing at you, twat swatter, and what the fuck is a 'knob'?"

"I'm glad I amuse you so easily, but you still didn't answer the question. And whose twat am I swatting?"

"I'm laughing at you, because you are so obviously trying to hide something from us. While you may be succeeding in keeping _what _it is that you are hiding a secret, you most definitely have a secret. Believe me, I will find out what it is that you're hiding, and when I do, you will wish you had just told me from the beginning. You're life will be misery personified, mo-fo. As far as twat swatting, that might just be the million dollar question..."

"Knob. Noun. One who is a dick or dick head. Used in a sentence? Emmett is every bit a knob when he doesn't get his way in something."

"Shut up, asshole. Twat swatter. Noun. One who swats another's chance at scoring some twat. The female equivalent of a cock blocker. Used in a sentence? Eddie boy is a grade "A" twat swatter and can swat a twat from across the room, leaving his buddies with blue balls. Got it?"

"Sure, Em. That one's great. No, really, it is. So glad you taught me that one, and can't wait to use it. What would I do without my brother around to teach me new vulgar vocab? It's good to know that expensive as fuck education Mom and Dad paid for is coming in handy."

"Shut the fuck up, Eddie boy, and finish up that engine so I can get paid. I wanna get outta here before midnight tonight. Rosie's looking a little _neglected_, if ya know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean, you insatiable knob, but I'm leaving early; Masen has his first tutoring lesson tonight. We're gonna leave by five. Sorry man, you'll just have to wait another day to get paid _and_ to get laid!"

"Oh, hella no! I'm not worried about getting paid, and I'm sure as _hell_ not worried about getting laid! I could get some right now if I wanted to!"

I shook my head at his outburst.

"Well, you just do that, Em; I've got to get Masen home. See ya tomorrow. I won't bother to call tonight, seeing as you'll be 'getting some'."

~oOo~

I barely had the door unlocked when Masen pushed passed me into the condo. He flew back to his room calling something about having to "clean up his room" over his shoulder as he disappeared in a blur. I started to worry that he may be sick. Or high. What nine year old boy willingly cleans up their room without threat of bodily harm first? Apparently my son, that's who.

I went about my usual evening routine; I took a quick shower to wash the grime and grease from the shop away, and then I got to work on dinner. Masen usually liked to either help with dinner or sit at the bar counter and do his homework while I cooked, but tonight he was, er, otherwise occupied. The more I thought about Masen's behavior, the more I realized it was a good idea to check on him. Just to be sure he wasn't huffing paint fumes or permanent markers. What? At least_ that_ would explain his bizarre behavior! Okay, it was a shitty thought, but you never know with kids these days.

Fuck! I sound like a seventy-five year old instead of an almost thirty year old! Maybe _I've_ been huffing and just fried so many brain cells that I can't remember.

I listened at his door for a moment to see if I heard any strange sounds, like spray cans being emptied into plastic bags. All I could hear was the sound of Muse blaring from his speakers. It would figure that the kid would inherit my fuckawesome taste in music. Hell, he had my talent and my crazy ass hair, why not taste in music, too?

I knocked on his door and opened it, half expecting to find him sitting on the edge of his bed with a plastic shopping bag gathered to his face and his bedroom floor littered with various shades of spray paint. What I found was equally shocking; his floor wasn't littered with anything. The entire room was spotless. You might have thought a forty-five year old anal retentive woman lived in this room as immaculate as it was. Well, except for the posters of motorcycles and Wolverine covering the walls. Not that there was anything wrong with a forty-something year old woman having posters of choppers and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine on her walls, it was just unusual, that's all. I stood there in Me's doorway, gaping at him folding the clean laundry he had piled on his neatly made bed. He looked up at me and asked, "Yeah, Dad? Did you need something?"

I stood there for a moment, shocked and frozen in place. I moved to check the temperature of his forehead with the back of my hand.

"Dad?! What is your major malfunction? Knock it off! I'm trying to get this finished before Ms. Swan gets here!"

_Ahhh... so that's what all this fuckery was about!_

"Well, your room looks really great, Me. Should I expect this level of cleanliness weekly?"

"Huh? What do you mean, Dad?"

I leaned against the door jam and crossed my arms across my chest, grinning as I prepared to tease my son mercilessly.

"I was just wondering if you planned to do this each Tuesday when Ms. Swan came for your lesson, or if it was a onetime thing?"

I watched my son's face as it dawned on him that I knew what he was up to. It flashed through confusion, on to embarrassment, and then finally anger.

"_Da-ad!_ I am_ not_ cleaning my room for Ms. Swan! Can't a kid clean his own dang room without someone thinking he's up to something ? Geesh!"

"Actually, no. Especially when said kid is notorious for never cleaning the aforementioned room unless threatened with bodily harm or suspension from all electronic devices for a month's time."

"That's not true, and you know I hate it when you talk like that, Dad. It's just creepy. There's nothing wrong with me wanting to clean up my room. It is my room, and besides, most parents would be happy that their kid was cleaning their room without being told."

"Maybe so, but after the initial excitement wore off they'd start to worry that their kid was on drugs. Are you on drugs, Masen? Because this behavior is sooo not like you. First you're in a hurry to do your homework, and now you're cleaning your room? What's next? Will you be taking a shower without me having to force you to?"

"Shut it, Dad! And shouldn't you be making dinner instead of bugging me? I'm starving! What's for dinner, anyway?"

"Ahhh, my son, master of the convo switcheroo! Okay, fine, I'll let you off the hook. For now. We will discuss this whole "cleaning" business at a later time. Until then, stay away from the duster and the toilet cleaner. I don't want you getting into any addictive behavior."

Masen threw a wad of socks at me, and laughed when I easily ducked out of the way.

"Get out of my room,_ Dad_! Go make dinner before I run away from home!"

"Like I could be so lucky."

"Ha. Ha. One day... You'll be sorry. One day."

"Whatever, punk kid."

He threw a second pair of socks at me and it beaned me in the back of the head as I walked away. I rubbed the spot where it hit me in mock injury.

"Ow! No dessert for you, young man. You need to learn to respect your elders."

I could hear his laughter as I made my way to the kitchen to collect what I needed to start grilling tonight's meal. I started on the steaks I had marinating in the fridge and got a beer out, popping off the cap. I gathered the rest of the ingredients and headed out to the balcony of our third floor condo to fire up the grill. I had to smile when I thought about the fucking amazing kid in the other room. He never ceased to surprise and thrill me. Like I said earlier, he is the best thing I have ever done.

We had two hours before Bella would arrive once we got home. Plenty of time to eat dinner and get some things done before she got here. I took a few minutes to straighten our usually immaculate house. I liked things neat, let's just leave it at that. How I ended up with a slob for a son was beyond me, and the irony was fucking hilarious to everyone except me. Masen had been a mess in motion from the moment he entered the world. I had spent the first three years of his life going behind him picking up the disaster he'd leave in his wake. I gave up when he was three, and decided to just go with the flow. By the time he was able to clean up after himself, I had already resolved to either living in a pigsty for the rest of his teen years, until he left for college, or cleaning up after him until then. I chose the latter, but not in an anal retentive kind of way. I still liked a clean house; I just wasn't a psycho about it anymore. Mostly.

Dinner was simple, but good, and Me went to finish up his homework. I wasn't surprised when the knock sounded on the door at seven, and I went to answer it, expecting Masen to shove past me to get to it first. Judging from the music that was blaring from underneath his door I was pretty sure that he hadn't heard Bella arrive. I smirked as I opened the door to her. I knew exactly how I would greet my son's teacher.

There she stood, in those tiny white shorts that showed off her fucking amazing legs, a tank top that read "I get wet in Forks, WA", and her chucks. Damn she could make anything sexy! I took the view of her in, every inch, as I looked her over from head to toe.

She spoke first, but only managed to squeak out a, "Hey there," before I grabbed her around her waist, dragging her in through the doorway and quickly shut the door behind her. I pressed her against the door and covered her body with my own. My arm never lost her waist, while my other hand pressed against the door just above her head. It served to ground me; to remind me where we were and who was nearby.

I covered her mouth with my own when she tried to speak again. I drank her in. Our kiss deepened and Bella arched her back away from the door and pressed her body along the length of my own. We moaned in unison at the contact. It had only been a day since we last saw each other, but oh, what a day that had been! I groaned her name at the memory of our last time together. What would probably be our last time together for a while. Whatever the fuck that meant.

I was reluctant to break our kiss, but I was trying to respect her wishes, and I was gentleman, if nothing else. Stupid fucker that I was, I also agreed with her logic from our conversation yesterday. The one that had us both saying that things were moving really fast, and some decisions had to be made.

She was my son's teacher and tutor, an amazing woman, and someone I did not want to risk messing things up with. And let's face it;, I had a pretty good track record of screwing things up with women. So we'd decided to slow things down, but only after a night of fucking amazing sex, the most fucking amazing sex EVER.

"Um, hi," was her shy greeting after I stepped back from her, only a step. I couldn't stand to be too far from her after being so close.

"Hi. How are you?"

"Horny, wet, crazed, and now I get to teach a piano lesson to a kid who could teach me a fucking thing or two about playing. The entire time I'll be focusing on his father sitting in the next room; and fantasizing about fucking him. So, great, I guess."

I couldn't resist the need to tease the woman who had just admitted to me in my foyer that she wanted to fuck me senseless. So I pushed the envelope, snaking my arm from around her waist and sliding my hand down her hip bone. It slipped between her thighs and brushed against the warm fabric where her legs met. She gasped at my touch. Yes, she was warm, and wet. I could feel the dampness seeping through the thin cotton of her shorts. I wondered for a brief second if she even had any panties on.

Her hand moved to cover mine when I went to move it away she whimpered and pressed it back onto her. I gave her my best Cullen smile and kissed her lips gently, almost chastely, as I took a small step back away from her, giving her space as I reminded her of our earlier conversation.

"Bella, dear. As much as I'd love to continue this with you, we both agreed that we needed to work on developing a relationship beyond the physical before being together again."

"Whose stupid idea was that?" She whined.

"Yours, and it wasn't stupid. Not to mention that Masen's just down that hall and bound to come flying out of his very clean room at any fucking moment. I don't think he'd understand this view we'd be giving him."

Bella agreed with a moan, and pressed gently against my chest for me to step back further. She pressed one last chaste kiss on my lips before slipping under my arm which was, still pressed against the door. I groaned from the loss of her closeness, my forehead thudding against the door next my hand.

"Well, are we doing this or what? I can't teach a piano lesson without a student or a piano. Care to provide both?"

I smiled in awe at the woman. She could go from zero to sixty in 2.3 seconds and back to zero just as fast. How could she be so alluring one moment and then so business- like the next? She was going to have to give _me_ lessons on how to do _that_.

"Yes, I can and will provide both. Would you like anything else, love? Maybe a drink?"

"You mean like, 'Coffee, tea, or me?'"

I shook my head and snickered at her joke. We headed in the direction of the living room where the piano sat.

"Yeah, something like that."

"No, thank you. I'm good. Where's Masen, and is that Muse blaring from somewhere?"

"He's been body snatched by aliens and is presently cleaning his room, and yes, that is Muse. It's the only way I know that's still my son in that room back there. He loves that band, so even though he's acting all whacked out, I know it's still him in there, somewhere."

"It will only get stranger as he gets older. Be glad it's positive behaviors and not destructive ones. Isn't there a saying about looking a gift horse in the mouth?"

"Did you just compare my son to a horse?"

"Not purposefully, no, but I do need to see said son. Should I let him know I'm here or will you?"

"Um, he may die of embarrassment if I let you back there without him knowing first. I'll go get him. You can get settled in here. Let me know if you need _anything_."

"Yeah, I'll do that. Wait, Edward? This piano is...almost exactly mine. This is going to be very…interesting."

Didn't I know it. She was hinting at what was still yet to come.

"You're just now finding that out, love?"

I looked back at her as I left to collect the little genius. She was beautiful and killing me. I'd had some time to think about what we talked about just yesterday. We did need to slow things down. This woman was someone I wanted in our lives for a long time, so I didn't want to fuck up whatever was developing between us.

I informed Masen that Bella was here and he was by her side in a flash. By the time I had caught up to him he had his arms around her waist telling her how excited he was about his lessons. Bella had one arm draped over his shoulders and the other was tousling his hair.

"We'll see how excited you are _after _the first lesson, little man. You may not be quite so happy with me afterwards. I'm pretty demanding of my private students."

"Oh, I'm ready; besides, I already know you're tough from school. How bad could it be?"

"You are so on, buster! You're gonna be crying like a little baby by the time this lesson is over!"

They both laughed as they settled into a familiar routine established many weeks ago in the classroom. I mentioned I'd be around if they needed me, and then went off to finish cleaning up after dinner. When everything was back in order I decided to take another beer out on the balcony and enjoy the weather and the view.

I left the French doors open so I could hear the two of them practice and interact. Within a few moments of settling in, I heard the opening notes of Claire de Lune wafting out to me. I laughed out loud at the memory of playing that same piece for Bella just a few days ago. Bella called out to me from where they sat, teasing me.

"We thought you'd like that one!"

The song stopped and I heard another familiar Debussy piece, this one fun and upbeat. "Le Petit Negre" was challenging, but whimsical, and a piece I knew Masen would love learning how to play. I watched the waves and my mind wandered back to my last date with Bella. Technically, it was our first date, but we hadn't seen each other since that dinner Sunday evening, which rolled into Monday morning after I'd spent the night. I'd spend every night in Bella's bed, if I had it my way, but we needed to do this the right way, for all parties involved. Most of all, Masen.

~oOo~

I had arrived at Bella's at six o'clock on Sunday like she had instructed, with an amazing bottle of wine in hand. Okay, I was a few minutes early, but only about fifteen. I had an idea which house was hers; I'd passed it countless times riding up and down A1A, but never knew it was her home. It was a beautiful beach house; a three story with yellow siding and white trim. The second and third stories were rimmed with deep covered porches all around the building; shading the multitude of windows and French doors. It was classic Florida architecture. I'd often admired this house and wondered what it looked like inside.

I stood at the front door- tall, all glass- and peered in for a moment before knocking. Loud music was radiating throughout the house and it sounded vaguely familiar. I could see Bella's piano from where I stood, and behind it, I caught a glimpse of movement in another room. I knocked, but apparently she didn't hear me. The music that I heard was too loud for her to hear me knocking. I tried again, this time harder. I could hear the song a little better, and it was the bluesy/rock of Joss Stone's "Put Your Hands On Me". My, my, Ms. Swan sure did have a dirty taste in music. First "Love Sex Magic", now this? It was then that Bella moved into view of the glass door. For a moment I thought she was coming to open the door to me, but then I realized that she had no idea I was outside. I watched as she moved to the music, dancing around the house, moving her fucktastic hips to the beat. I laughed when I realized that she was singing along with the song, holding a wooden spoon as a mic.

I heard the lyrics she sang as her hands moved over her gyrating body, and I wanted desperately for those to be my hands instead of hers. The view was very nice, though.

_I can't explain can't comprehend the world could reach its very end_

_and all I focus on is him_

_The way he moves, he found his groove there's nothing left to do_

_but tell the world the truth_

_Cause there's no way out_

_I love him_

_I feel him_

_Oh I'm lovin' those hands_

_Put your hands on me baby_

_You got me flipping_

_One more time_

_Put your hands on me baby_

_One taste I'm trippin'_

_Just kiss me baby, tell me you're mine_

_Put your hands on me baby_

I was enraptured by her, lost in her siren song and dance. Just then, a beast of a dog rushed the door and stopped just short of slamming into the glass, barking and growling at me. I jumped, startled by the attack; I had a feeling this animal would rip me to shreds if it had the chance. Bella looked up then, to see what the commotion was about, I'm sure, and noticed me standing on the other side of the door. I waved shyly and shrugged at the viscous display just inches away from my groin. She dropped the spoon on the counter and rushed to the door, turning down the music with a tiny remote and hushing the dog, commanding him to "heel" and "stand down." The second command made me more nervous than the growling. I only hoped this dog obeyed as well as he protected.

Bella didn't hesitate to open the door, and when she did, the beast that had only moments before been dying to castrate me, sat passively at her side, its tail thumping on the hardwood floor.

_I could kiss whatever dog trainer trained that animal, and my dick was thankful too._

"Hello, Edward. So I see you've met Mr. Darcy. I'm sorry about that, but he doesn't know you yet so he's a bit protective, especially since we're on his territory. Mr. Darcy, tell Edward you're sorry and make nice with him. He's our new friend!"

She looked down at the dog that could now be the poster animal for "Perfect Pets" and chastised him for his rude welcome. Mr. Darcy looked from Bella to me and reached out to touch my hand with his wet nose. He sniffed the limp limb and gave it a quick swipe with his massive tongue before looking back at his mistress. Satisfied with her safety, he sauntered off to another room.

Bella shrugged and said something about Darcy being a big teddy bear at heart, but a grizzly when provoked. I was going to have to argue with her if she tried to use the old "his bark is worse than his bite" saying, 'cause I had the feeling that Mr. Darcy's bite could be pretty fucking bad. I was prepared to avoid being alone with Mr. D. I had no desire to see how bad his bite was. Neither did my dick.

"Please come in, Edward. I promise Darcy won't bother you. Are you afraid of dogs?"

I walked in and gaped at her. What made her think I was afraid of dogs?

"Hello, beautiful, and no, I am most certainly _**not**_ afraid of dogs. I'm just leery of the ones that try to fucking castrate me through glass doors, that's all. That's one hell of a guard dog you have there. What kind of dog is Mr. Darcy?"

Bella's laugh filled the house.

"Oh, Edward, I wasn't insinuating that you were a pussy, you just looked pretty terrified when I came to the door. A lot of people are afraid of dogs, even big biker dudes. Darcy is an American Pit Bull. Pure bred, and more like a kitten than a Chihuahua. So, while I know you aren't afraid of dogs, I can assure you that Mr. Darcy will not harm you in any way. Unless you are deathly allergic to dog slobber, in which case, we'll need to keep him locked away, because I assure you that he will lick you repeatedly tonight. He's a lover, not a fighter."

We walked to the kitchen where I offered her the bottle of chilled Riesling. I was a sick bastard because Bella talking about "repeated licking" had me hard. How my dick could go from "scared as hell" to "ready to play" was a mystery, and I attributed it all to this woman. I ignored Eddie Jr. and assured Bella that I was fine with Darcy hanging out with us. Was there anything about this woman that wasn't fuckhot? She rode, was a stellar musician, loved tatts, had the mouth of a trucker, the heart of an angel, and a Pitt Bull for a cuddle partner. I was learning just how badass Bella Swan really was.

She offered to give me the tour while our dinner finished cooking; it still had a few minutes before it was ready. It smelled amazing in the house - something Italian - and my stomach was beginning to rival another organ in its impatience.

I followed behind her as she led me through the space. She was stunning in a short sundress and bare feet. I wondered if I should have taken my shoes off when I entered the house. Some people were fanatics about that shit, but I figured she would have mentioned it when I came in, so I let it go. I also wondered if she had any panties on under that sundress, because, no matter how hard I tried I couldn't make out a panty line. Not even a thong.

"_Damn. I _so _hope she doesn't have anything on under that dress! I'll have to do a little hands on investigating..."_

We moved through the open space, and I noticed every inch of the house afforded either a stunning, unobstructed view to the beach just across the street or the inlet behind. The interior was decorated with light, casual furnishing, all very fitting in a beach house. Blues, greens, and whites were the predominate colors. Soft, welcoming area rugs designated the different spaces in the open layout and the cross breeze from the doors and windows made the see through curtains blow in and out of the room. On this floor was the kitchen, dining room, living room, a beautiful office and a guest room. Bella had the all of the French doors open to the porch that surrounded the house, and we made our way out the front to look out at the waves. Pelicans and egrets soared through the sky.

"This is beautiful, Bella. I've always wondered what this place looked like from the inside. I would have never imagined_ this_."

We headed back inside and up the stairs to the third floor. This floor was also surrounded by the same covered porches. At the top of the stairs was a large landing which had a cozy seating area that several doors opened up onto. Bella showed me that two were guest rooms, and the third was her room. Each room was beautifully done, with some nautical or oceanic theme. The room downstairs had been done in a lighthouse theme;, the attention to detail was evident, and Bella explained that you could see the beam of the lighthouse from this room at night. The other two guest rooms were just as meticulously done. One in a nautical theme of red and blue, and the other was peppered with colorful fish and was very inviting. I could imagine making her scream my name in each and every room of this place; I hoped I'd get the chance to try soon.

Bella's room was just what I would expect for her. Situated at the back of the house, three of the walls were exterior ones and were mostly glass due to all the windows and several French doors that led out to the porch. Just outside one was a set of stairs that she explained let to a roof deck. Her room was large, and painted in a beautiful shade of deep blue. The big, four-poster, bed was a light wood color and had the same sheer curtains that hung from the windows at each post. A white comforter billowed across the expanse of the bed, and an array of pillows took up a majority of the room on the bed. I wondered how long it took to make that shit up each morning.

She showed me the master bath, where I discovered a half dozen new places to add to the list of "places I'd like to fuck Bella in her house" list. We went back into her room where I took the opportunity to do my "investigating".

"So, that's the tour. Mostly. There's the ground floor, but that's mostly garage and a game room. We can see that after diner if you'd like? So you can see my other bike and vehicles?"

I pulled her to me, pressing my hands into the small of her back and pushing her body against mine. Kissing her slowly, fully, I slid my hand down over her hips and around her ass, feeling for lines and ridges that would be the tell tale sign of offensive undergarments. There were none.

I groaned into her kisses as I realized that she was just as I'd hoped she'd be. I gently squeezed her ass and grazed my hands along her hips, and up her rib cage. One hand moved around to cup her breast, finding it also free of lingerie. She was completely naked beneath this flimsy cotton dress, and had been the entire time we had walked around her home, just inches from my fingertips. The thought was exhilarating. I pushed her against one of the bed posts, kissing and exploring her body, but only touching her through the soft material that skimmed over her even softer skin.

Bella moaned and pressed against me, her hands pushing up under the hem of my shirt. Her fingers found my skin and began tracing lines on my back and sides. I couldn't resist any longer. Memories of our time in her class room and on the phone the night before only fueled the fire;, and I slipped my hands under the skirt of her dress and up her bare thighs, settling on her hips. Her dress pooled around my forearms obstructing the view of her bare skin, but I could feel it, and it was driving me crazy. I moved us over a step and guided us down onto the bed.

"Edward, what do you think you're doing?"

"Just getting more comfortable. Do you have something against being comfortable when I fuck you senseless?"

"Is that what you're going to do? Fuck me senseless? Well, in that case, no, I have nothing against comfort, but you do realize that dinner will be ready any moment now..."

At that moment the buzzer on the oven sounded.

"Fuck!"

"No, lasagna and garlic bread. Light on the garlic."

She kissed me, giggling into our kiss.

"Let's go eat something and pick back up where we left off after dinner."

I was not interested in eating anything but what lay on that bed, but Bella's stomach rumbled, and I decided against telling her to forget the fucking food so I could ravish her. I did take one.

I nodded my agreement to her plan and slid down her body, planting kisses as I went. When I reached her thighs I lifted the skirt of her dress, grazing the sensitive skin where they met and placing a wet kiss on each inner thigh. I still could not see her, but I could feel what my closeness was doing to her body, and it about damn near killed me to walk away from her. With a few well placed kisses along her upper thighs, I took her hands and helped her off the bed. I adjusted her skirt and followed her as she led us down the stairs. I couldn't help myself and grabbed her ass when we reached the bottom of the stairs. Bella squealed and swatted at my hand.

"Cut it out! Perv."

"Only for you, love. Only for you.

We ate out on the back porch as the sun set over the inlet. It was beautiful and fucking romantic. There were candles on the table and along the railing, and Josh Groban's voice wafted quietly from inside. Dinner was delicious; Bella was a really good cook. Mr. Darcy slept at our feet as we ate and talked. The dinner conversation was light, mostly exchanging the usual information. We talked about her family, how she'd grown up in both Florida and Washington State, where her dad still lived. Her mom was remarried to a big shot pro baseball trainer, and it was his donation of the piano in her class room. Apparently Ms. Bella Swan was the benefactor in some huge legal settlement that had awarded her ridiculous amounts of money because of a "freak accident" she'd been in as a kid. She didn't elaborate, and I didn't push. I figured she'd tell me when she was ready to, but it explained how she was able to live as she did while earning a teacher's salary.

I filled her in on my experiences of growing up in Florida and attending UF with my crazy ass siblings. She seemed genuinely eager to meet them when the time was right. We briefly skimmed over the topic of Masen's mother, most importantly, the fact that she was not an issue.

After dinner we cleaned up;, it didn't take long with both of us, and I think I scored points for helping in the kitchen. Why, I have no fucking clue. It's not like I haven't been doing it for myself all these damn years, but hell, I'll take bonus points any way I can get them! Plus, I had multiple opportunities to graze Bella's ass with my hand and ever growing erection as we worked around each other.

We moved to the living room where I sat at the piano and tapped the bench next to me. I'd been dying to get her next to me on a piano again since the last time we had been together. But as much fun as our last musical experience had been, I had other plans this time.

I smiled down at her as she shifted nervously next to me.

"Why so fidgety, love?"

"I'm just remembering our last time at a piano together, that's all."

"Ahhh, yes. That will be forever engrained into my memory as well, but I think we should make some more, PG friendly memories behind a keyboard, don't you?"

"PG? Why PG?"

"Well, because we both have a penchant for swearing, and that would instantly earn any time we spend together PG."

She laughed at the joke and the sound was beautiful.

"Bring on the fucking PG memories then!"

"Alright! But if you insist on saying 'fuck' then we will definitely have to raise the rating."

I turned to the keyboard and stretched my fingers before motioning for her to do the same, letting my hands hover over the keys. She followed my lead and prepared to play alongside of me. I made a show of getting ready to play a complicated piece, only to break out the "Chopsticks". Bella erupted in laughter beside me, her arms crossing over her torso as she laughed harder than I'd ever seen her laugh. I vowed then and there to be the source of that type of joy in her life as much as fucking possible.

Once she had composed herself, mostly, I nodded for her to join me in the game. We played together at her piano for what seemed like just a few moments, but at the same time it felt like hours had passed. We played favorite pieces, pieces to impress, sometimes accompanying the other, sometimes just watching the other player in awe.

When the last note faded, Bella stood silently and walked to the kitchen. My eyes never left her form as she took the wine bottle and our empty glasses and walked back to me. She handed me her treasures, and offered me her hand. I followed her around the house as she went from door to window to door, closing up the house. I heard a noise behind me and turned to see Darcy following us as we went. As we climbed the stairs I had a bizarre thought.

"Um, Bella..."

"Yes, baby?"

"Where does Mr. Darcy sleep?"

"In the bed with me. Right next to me, as a matter of, fact."

She turned to gauge my reaction to her admission. I made a face akin to disbelief, and she added an explanation for what she must have thought was my major objection to the situation.

"He's a very clean dog, and very cuddly!"

"Bella I will not sleep with a dog, much less fuck with one in the bed, regardless of how fuckhot the woman is..."

Bella was hysterical with laughter again. I was worried that she might fall down the stairs if she wasn't careful. When she was finished laughing at whatever was so fucking funny she looked at me as seriously as she could muster and placed her hand against my cheek.

"Edward, baby. The dog sleeps in his own bed, as does the cat-"

"Cat? You have a cat? I haven't seen a cat!"

"Chaucer is shy;, he'll come out later when he knows you better. To finish the answer to your first question, the dog sleeps in his own bed, and that is usually in the corner of my room, but tonight I'll put him in one of the guest rooms. The look on your face was fucking priceless!"

She continued to chuckle as we ascended the stairs, so I decided to teach her a lesson. I grabbed her tiny waist and threw her over my shoulder, tickling her as I did so. She kicked and squealed and spewed obscenities at me as I hauled her to her room. I tossed her on the bed and began to tickle her mercilessly.

"Uncle! Uncle! Please stop, Edward, I'm gonna pee if you don't fucking stop tickling me! STOP!"

I heard Mr. Darcy's low growl near the edge of the bed and I stopped immediately.

"Darcy, stand down. Edward's not hurting me, he's just _playing_."

She reached down over the side of the bed and scratched the beast behind his ears.

"I love you too, you big lug. Let's get you settled in the other room, so Edward will let go of his balls."

I looked down and realized that I had indeed been shielding the family jewels from a plausible attack from a Pitt Bull named after a Jane Austin character. I relaxed and sat on the bed as Bella collected the giant bed and hauled it to another room. When she came back in I was fully recovered from scare of my second near castration experience of the day. Bella went into her bathroom and came back with a small bag of toiletries and a pile of linens sandwiched between her hands. She leaned against the door jam and announced that these were for me.

_Thorough little vixen, isn't she?_

I thanked her and climbed off the bed, taking the pile from her, and placing it on a nearby chair. With both our hands free, I pulled her to me and kissed her quickly before pulling back to look at her.

"You are beautiful, do you know that? Every moment I spend with you, you just affirm every preconception I have of you."

"Wow, Edward, that's really sweet, and a lot to fucking live up to, you do know _that_, don't you?"

"No, you have nothing to prove or live up to. I'm just saying that, well, what I mean is... You amaze me. Every fucking time. I can't wait to know more about you, to know what makes you tick, what makes you laugh until you almost pee your pants. I want to know everything about you, Bella."

Her answer came in the form of a sweet, lingering kiss. Her hands splayed across my chest and pushed me back until I felt my legs meet the side of the bed. I sat on the edge and pulled her to stand between my knees. I made good on my promise from earlier to pick up where we left off and moved my hands up under the hem of her dress. She moaned at the feel of my skin on hers. They continued their path up along her slim form. I loved Bella's body; she was fit but not too thin. I liked my women with a little meat on them. Fuck that. I liked _this_ woman with a little meat on her. There weren't any other women that held a candle to this creature before me, and I wanted to see all of her.

I continued moving my hands up her torso, lifting her dress in the process. I pulled it up and off her head, and her hair fell around her bare shoulders; she was breathtaking. I had to look at her for a moment, just take her in. I had to look at her for a moment, just take her in. It was at that moment that I noticed the splash of color on her lower left hip. She was _inked_! I traced the outline with my finger, surprised.

"You have a tatt?"

I wasn't sure why it came out as a question, but I hadn't expected to find her with a hidden tattoo, and this tattoo was definitely hidden. Hell, I'd seen this woman practically naked and I hadn't seen this before. It wasn't very big and strategically placed; it would easily be covered by a bikini bottom or panties. It was an image of a small bird flying over a flower, a daisy I think. It was an unusual choice for a tattoo, so I could only imagine that there was a story behind it. But, then again there usually was a story behind a tatt.

"Uh... Yeah, I have one. Why?"

I bent down to place a chaste kiss on the colored skin above her hip. Bella gasped at contact.

"No reason. I was just surprised is all. I can't wait to hear the story behind this."

I looked up at her through the hair that had fallen into my eyes. She was stunning. This was the woman with whom I'd had the hottest almost-sex of my life- on a_ piano_, the woman who'd had phone sex with me last night, and the woman who I wanted to sleep next to tonight and any night I possibly could after tonight.

I silently thanked my parents again for taking Masen tonight. This was going to be one hell of a night.

Bella took off my shirt and tossed it across the room. I had started to unbutton my jeans, but she stopped my hands.

"No, let me, please?"

"You won't get an argument from me. It's all yours."

Her hands made quick work of the button, but took her time with the zipper. She eyed me while she slowly lowered the tab. I wondered if I should warn her that I had gone commando. As it turned out I didn't have to. Edward Jr. was already making his appearance once she undid the button.

"Edward, baby? Are you not wearing any underwear?"

"Nope, but neither were you, love. I'd say great minds think alike."

"I'd say we were both pretty damn sure we were getting some tonight."

"Why, Ms. Swan, that was awful forward of you."

"As it was of you, Mr. Cullen."

"Shit, Bella. You calling me that reminded me of last night. That was fuckhot, by the way."

"Do you want me to call you that more often?"

"No, I like the way you say my name, and I love it when you call me baby."

My hands roamed over her body, teasing her as we spoke. Goose bumps rose up along her skin, and I realized the doors and windows were still open in her room. I also realized that every Tom, Dick, and Harry could probably see into the room, and in turn, see Bella.

"Hold on, love, let me close the doors."

As I did, I noticed that she didn't have any blinds or shades for privacy.

"It doesn't bother you that people can see into here at night?"

"What? Oh! Of course it does! Hold on..."

Bella reached across the bed to her nightstand and riffled through the drawer, looking for something. Apparently she found more than she was looking for because a low humming noise started and she turned four shades of red before finding the noisy hummer and switching it off. When her hand emerged from the drawer she had a small remote in her hand.

"What's that for?"

The possibilities were endless: a stereo remote, a tiny vibe, a remote entrance to a secret sex lair. My excitement was obviously written on my face.

"The shades, perv!"

She silently clicked a button, and instantly every window became shrouded behind shades that had descended from the ceiling to the quiet hum of whirling motors.

"That's so. Fucking. Cool. I need some of those!"

She strode over to me, her naked form drawing my eyes to it like a magnet.

"We need to even up the score a little here."

Instantly she had my pants down around my ankles. She crouched down to slip off my shoes and pull the pants off my feet. She stayed there, eying my very eager erection, and I almost lost it when I saw her lick her lips as she did.

She drew her slender index finger along my length , from the base to the tip, stopping to gently wipe the drop of moisture that had collected there. Her eyes moved up to mine as she brought her finger to her mouth and licked the tip seductively. I shivered from her touch and the thought of her mouth on me and what else she could do with that tongue. When she spoke her voice was husky with need.

"May I, love? Please?"

I really didn't want our first time together to begin with her on her knees pleasuring me. So, I gently guided her off the floor and pulled her to me. I lifted her up and her legs wrapped around my waist. I felt her hot and wet, pressed against me, and she was _so close_. All I'd need to do is move her over a little and I'd be inside of her, but that's not what she wanted, and I wanted to do this our way. Not my way. Not her way. Our way, and we'd discover that together.

I lowered her to the bed and lay next to her. We turned towards each other, lying on our sides. I ran my finger and hands along her curves, my eyes following the path they made as they went. She giggled as my light touch tickled her. I grinned as I thought of tickling her earlier and her begging me to stop.

"Bella, I'll make you a promise; before tonight is over, you will be begging and screaming for me to never stop"

I intentionally tickled her skin and she squirmed and giggled again, getting the point I was trying to make.

I resumed my exploration of her skin, memorizing her, learning her, making note of which areas of her beautiful body made her sigh or moan. Her hands did the same on my body. I traced along her hip and over her ribs, pausing to palm her breasts and feel their delicious weight in my hands, teasing and circling each nipple before bringing my mouth to her chest to repeat the exercise with my tongue. She gasped at the feel of my mouth on her skin, and her hands became more eager on my body as her excitement grew. They found their way to my dick, and began working its length, while she planted kisses on my shoulders and the top of my head.

I needed to feel her, to feel how her body was responding to what I was doing to it. I gently pressed her hips back into the mattress and she willingly opened her legs as I felt the soft skin between them. I traced the inside of each thigh, teasing as I brushed over the sensitive skin. Bella moaned, spreading her legs even more, begging without words for me to touch her. All the time her hands worked over me, pulling me closer to the edge of control.

My fingers passed over the wet skin of her folds, and I gasped at the feel of her.

_So wet!_

I was reminded of the night before when Bella had been much chattier, and I tried to coax a little of that side of her out again. I was also reminded of the sound I had heard earlier coming from the drawer.

"Bella?"

My voice was raspy and thick with need.

"Uh," was the only verbal response I received from the woman writhing under my touch.

"What was that noise I heard earlier in you drawer?"

"Huh? Wha… - ohhh.... Don't stop, please, Edward. _Touch me_."

"Oh, I haven't even begun, yet, love, but you didn't answer my question; what was that noise in your drawer before?

"It was nothing, nothing like your fingers, or hands or... ohhh, your mouth. God, Edward, you have a very talented tongue."

I smirked against her breast as I recalled our first meeting when she asked about my "talents".

"Yes, I do, would you like to know what else it can do? Yes? Well, then you have to tell me what's in your drawer."

"You know, dammit! It's my vibrator. Now shut up and put up!"

I snickered at her enthusiasm. Satisfied that she'd answered me and was now talking like I'd hoped, I complied; moving down over her, kissing and licking as I traveled down over her stomach, to where we both wanted my tongue. Her hips shifted, opening her legs further for me. I first kissed and sucked the tender skin of her inner thighs, moving up along their line until I reached the wet center between them. She cried out as my tongue made a long, soft swipe of her opening. She tasted fucking amazing; it was everything I fucking imagined. Her hips lifted to meet my mouth, and I licked her again, this time sucking her clit into my mouth. She grasped my hair and groaned as I worked her with my mouth and tongue. I pushed two fingers into her, curling them inside her, finding the tender spot that would help her climax. Bella's back arched, pushing her head back into the pillows as she lost herself in what I was doing to her body. I could feel her tremble as she came, whimpering at the sweet release.

"Edward, that was... amazing." She said, her chest still heaving as she tried to catch her breath, "Talented doesn't begin to describe that display.."

I crawled up her body, finding her mouth with mine, kissing her deeply,and she moaned at the taste of herself on my lips. My hands continued moving over her, my fingers dipping in and out of her.

"I like to hear you, Bella. I like hearing what you want from me. Tell me what you want, and I'll give it to you."

"I want you, Edward, and I want you to shut it."

A look of shock flashed across my face as I jerked back to look at her. I was confused by the huge grin she wore.

"You wanted to know what it was I wanted, well;, I don't want to have to concentrate on talking right this minute. Your hand is doing mind blowing things to my lady parts and all I want is for you to show me what you can do with that other, rather large appendage you possess. Care to show me?"

I nodded my agreement.

"So basically you want me to shut the fuck up..."

"You can talk, groan, pant whatever the hell you want, just don't expect the same from me. I can't...uhhhh. Wow. Right there- that's… wow. Concentrate. I can't concentrate...when you're... oh, god...doing that. Can't. Form. Sentences. Uhhhh, Edward- please!"

I positioned myself between her legs, and they bent to accommodate me. My weight was mostly supported on my arms, but Bella wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me down onto her. I kissed and sucked that soft spot where her neck meets her shoulder. Each time she would moan I would whisper something about her that I adored. I wanted this to be more than just a fuck for both of us. She may not be able to form coherent thoughts, but I had things I wanted to fucking tell this woman, and if I told her in the daytime then she could see which damn direction to run away in. I took this opportunity to tell her a few of the things that had been swimming around in my head nonstop since our first meeting.

"Every time you moan, Bella," I whispered in her ear, "my dick twitches, trying to get closer to you."

"Hmmm. Then don't stop. You wanted me to beg, and I am, baby. Please."

I kissed her beautiful mouth, our tongues teasing and caressing.

"You taste like vanilla and honeysuckle. In fact, that's how you smell, like honeysuckle, and it drives me fucking nuts."

Each admission was met with a moan or cry, even a gasp.

"When you smile at me, I can feel my heart twist in my chest."

My hand had snuck between our bodies, touching and stroking her clit as I admitted things to her in hushed tones that I couldn't imagine doing any other time.

"You are the most beautiful, talented, smartest woman I have even known..."

She smiled against my kisses at my confession. She knew what was coming.

"Before I met you, I'd never known anyone who I wanted to spend my days with, listening to them play the piano."

I guided the tip of my erection to her opening and gently rubbed it along the soft folds. She gasped at the sensation.

"The sound of your voice makes my heartbeat race, and all I can think about is finding a way to get you to cry out my name…"

"_Edward, please_..."

I slowly pushed into her, relishing the feel of her around me. She was warm, and soft, and perfect. It was almost as if she were made for _me_.

"...and I'm dying to know what you feel like when I shatter you into a million pieces and put you back together."

With that I thrust into her and lost all ability to form a coherent thought myself. All I could think about was the way it felt to be inside Bella. I could feel the way her body responded to the delicious friction we were creating between us; the way she constricted around me as I pulled out and pressed back into her. I felt her nails as they scratched the skin across my shoulders...my back...my arms. I felt her full breast in my hand as I pulled her pert nipple to my mouth, where I licked and sucked as I moved in her. Those long legs of hers had wrapped around my hips, guiding my movements, pulling me to her and tightening when she wanted me to move faster or harder. It wasn't long before I felt the change in her responses; she was close. She was tightening around me and her breaths came in short, quick pants.

"Oh, god, Edward! Fuck! Right there! Deeper, there!_ Edward! Uhhmm..._"

She bucked her hips as she came undone. Her entire body shuddered as she shattered, and I finally knew what it felt like to feel her this way. I followed her into bliss, cumming quickly after her. I lay over her, pressed against every inch of her body as we caught our breaths. I traced notes of symphonies on her glistening skin, composing a song of contentment and release. Someday I would play this for her, and she would hear how beautiful she sounded in this moment. We lay that way for what seemed like an eternity, and yet not long enough,

I rolled off her and pulled her to me. Our legs tangling together and our arms encircling each other protectively. I traced confessions on her skin, mingling them with the notes I'd composed. I wrote of all the things that I was desperate to tell her, but couldn't; like what I saw when I looked in her eyes: the soft soul of a strong woman. I wrote to her that there was only one other person I would share her completely with, and that was my son. I warned her that my family was fucking crazy, but the most lovable motley crew she would ever meet, and that I hoped that the time for them to meet would come soon. I assured her that they would love her as well. I confessed that I didn't know how I was going to make it through the next day without seeing her. She lay there silently as I poured my heart out onto her skin, allowing me to rebuild her.

I pulled the comforter over us and my hands found the hair that fell down over her back. We drifted to sleep as I continued to conjure things to admit to her, things that I loved about her. She would never remember these things, but that just meant I'd get the chance to tell her the right way. I hoped that chance would be soon.

~oOo~

"Dad! Hello, Dad? Sorry, Ms. Swan. He's been doing this a lot lately. Must be old age or something."

I was snapped back from my memories once again by my son; standing in front me literally snapping his fingers in my face. Bella stood next to him just out of my reach.

"Huh? Oh, Masen, Bella... are you finished all ready? Wow. The time flew by!"

"Well, it is indeed time for me to be heading home. Masen did wonderfully, and he has plenty to keep him occupied until Thursday."

Bella turned her attention to the boy who nearly bounced with pleasure in her presence.

"Now, Masen, if this is too much to master before our next lesson, then just say something to me about it. But unless I hear otherwise, I'll expect these pieces to be near perfect when you come to my place for your next lesson. Understand? "

His head bobbed his agreement, and he looked more like a souvenir from a major league baseball game than a boy.

"Okay, then. I guess we're all finished here. Edward, Masen, you have a lovely home. Next time you get to see my place. Oh, by the way, I have a dog, Masen. He's very friendly, but I'll put him away if you're afraid of dogs."

"Oh, no, I'll be fine, Ms Swan. I like dogs. I'll walk you to the door."

I sat there, stunned, unable to move or say much of anything. These two were a wonder to watch together. Not to mention I was still in a haze from my little day dream.

_She's getting away, you dumb fucker! Go after them!_

It dawned on me that I didn't know when I'd see her again. I got up and followed after them. Bella waved to me from the door. The very door I'd had her pressed against only hours earlier. Masen, every bit the gentleman I'd raised him to be, opened the door for her and bid her a good night. Bella returned the nicety and shyly waved me a goodbye, smiling and shrugging. She mouthed, "Bye" before stepping out of the door and into the hall.

Fuck my life! I had just been cock blocked by a nine year old! And I wasn't entirely sure that he wasn't exactly sure what he was doing! I was instantly texting Bella, letting her know that I'd be calling her later that night. I couldn't imagine not seeing her until Masen's next lesson. Come hell or high water, I'd be damned if I would wait to see Bella Swan again before her next lesson with Masen. I'd be damned.

_Bella, I need to see you before Thurs. Pls call so we can set up time to meet?_

_~Edward_

~oOo~

_**A/N**__ :Peeks out from behind MacTop: _Are you still there? Whew! That was a long one!

Thanks to **Huni-Bun17** for the definition of "knob" and for expanding this author's vulgar vocabulary! And to my Morning Wine (**amwine**) for the love! You get me tipsy!

**Famingo**, I have half a mind to steal you from** Dizzy**, but i love her too much to do that. For now, I will borrow you and cherish you! Thanks for everything! ;)

One last note: Did you know that every year over 200,000 children worldwide are diagnosed with a form of childhood cancer? We cannot ignore this shocking statistic impacting the youth of the world, and we certainly hope that you won't either. We need your help.

Starting Nov. 15 through Nov. 20th, the fandom will have the opportunity to help in the fight against childhood cancer. For more information on how you can help please go to www(dot) alexslemonade(dot) org/stands/19842 and www(dot) thefandomgivesback(dot) com

**Don't forget to please review! I {heart} hearing from you, and I get warm fuzzies with EACH review! Thanks for reading!**


	5. Music and Memories

A/N: Lots happens in this little chapter. Hope you can keep up. ;)

As always, my love and devotion to Dizzygrl28. I wouldn't dream of posting a single word without you looking at it first. Thank you for making me so dependent on you and your mad beta skills. I love you.

Special thanks to my Cutest, Bqotfu, for pre-reading and being so encouraging. Huggles, ficsis! (Please check out these ladies AMAZING fics "Teacher's Pet" and "Crime Scene Denials & Forensic Angels" respectively. You won't regret it!)

Playlist: "Headlights on the Highway"-Ron Pope, "The Only Exception"-Paramore, "True Love Way"-Kings of Leon, "Control"-MuteMath, "Le Petit Negre"-Debussy, "Kiss the Rain"-Yiruma, "In My Arms"-Plumb (This is the song used for Reese's Song)

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters or anything that relates to Twilight. I do own a beautiful poster of Edward that I would lick if it wouldn't ruin it to do so. (Sad, but true.) ENJOY!

~oOo~

CH5- Music and Memories

BPOV

Tuesday PM

My first lesson with Masen was over, and I'd be damned if the kid didn't blow me away, once again. This kid was a once in a lifetime thing. I doubted if I'd ever come across talent like his again. I was in awe each time he sat behind a piano. It was truly his "voice".

I had picked a few challenging pieces for Masen to work on, and knew that he would have them mastered by our next lesson on Thursday.

Thursday. Edward. Back at my place on Thursday. Nice thought.

But that's all it could be was a thought. After our amazing night together on Sunday, I awoke feeling something I hadn't felt in a very long time. Safe. At home. And Edward had made me feel that way. I hoped I never forgot the feeling I had that first morning I woke up beside Edward Cullen.

~oOo~

Monday AM

The sun was streaming in through the window behind me; I could feel it warming my bare back and the cool of the sheet resting over my hips. Slowly I remembered that I should not be alone on this morning, that there should be the most amazingly hot man lying alongside me. I turned my head slowly to see if he was there, or if it was all a dream. There he was, facing me on his side; the sun behind him encircling him like a halo.

I giggled at the imagery of Edward Cullen glowing and angelic; complete with potty mouth. Almost as if he could hear what I was thinking, he murmured a quiet "Fuck!" under his breath, and his hand gently brushed a stray lock of hair from my face. I smiled at the god-like man in my bed and answered him the only way I could think to.

"Um, sure, if you're offering, that is..."

His deep laughter resounded in the room, and his hand trailed down over my shoulder, onto my back where he traced something methodically on the skin there. His fingers continued to trace from my shoulder to my hip, repeating the pattern over and over again; it was cathartic, and I never wanted him to stop. I felt as though the world could come apart around us, but Edward and I would remain untouched.

Surprisingly I wasn't concerned that it had only been a few short days of knowing this man before this coming to this realization. Somewhere in me I knew that this is where our hearts belonged. Together.

Edward cleared his throat before speaking.

"Bella, love, while I would love to spend the rest of the day laying in bed next to you, doing amazing things to that fuckhot body of yours, I'm afraid I have to eventually make an appearance at the shop and collect my son at some point. Besides, you must be getting hungry."

We reluctantly clamored out of bed and made our way to my shower where we shared the heat of the water and a shower puff. I had expected him to tease me about the fluffy goodness, but he never commented on it. Turned out he had one himself, only in a "manly grey". The thought of my biker man regularly bathing with a puff made me giggle, and Edward demanded to know what was so fucking funny. He must have thought I was laughing at his manhood, because he started rambling on about something to do with "objects in the shower are larger than they appear".

"What are you talking about, Edward?"

"What are you laughing about, Bella?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me or I'll tickle you again. This time I'll have no mercy..."

"Fine! I just was imagining you using a shower puff, that's all!"

"Hon, you don't have to imagine me using one, turn around and I'll use one on you."

I giggled again as he turned me to wash my back. I returned the favor, taking note of the images that covered his back and shoulders.

"Hey, baby?"

"I love it when you call me that."

I smiled at his admission and pressed a kiss onto an eighth note that spotted his shoulder blade. Across his back on the other shoulder was a compass, pointing due north. I had already seen the logo for Eclipse Choppers on his right bicep, and his arms were sleeved with tribal tattoos mixed with other symbols. I ached to know what had compelled him to mark his skin with these specific images.

"Will you tell me what all these tats represent someday? I mean, if its not too personal."

He turned to face me, his hands covering my hips and pulling me to him under the stream of warm water.

"Bella, after all I have done to this body, you worry that asking me to tell you about the ink on my body is too personal? I'd be happy to tell you anything you want to know about my tats, or my life. I realize we're doing this a tad backwards, but I want, no- I need you to know that this is more than amazing sex."

"Fucking amazing sex, Mr. Cullen. I believe those were the words you used last night."

He snickered and planted a firm kiss on my lips.

"Yes, Ms. Swan, I did use those exact words. You are fucking amazing. Have I told you that?"

"More or less."

"Well, let's finish up in here so I can tell you some more..."

We finished up showering and toweled each other off. Edward's back pack was still downstairs from when he arrived the night before, so I slipped into my robe and padded down stairs to retrieve it for him and let Darcy out for break. I put on a pot of coffee while I waited for the mutt to signal that he was ready to be let back in.

I carried Edward's bag up to him and asked how he took his coffee. It shouldn't have surprised me that he liked it black. I got dressed quickly in a pair of jeans and a Florida Gators tank top. My hair was easily pulled into a ponytail. I didn't have any plans except to visit my parents, so there was little need to primp.

Edward emerged from the bathroom in cargo shorts and a black tank top that sported the Eclipse logo in white. He ran his hand through his hair absentmindedly as he took in what I was wearing.

"Florida, huh? Nice. I see you were listening when we were talking last night and I mentioned my alma mater."

I handed him the cup of coffee I had made him while he was dressing and took a sip of my own. I was listening for the timer on the oven.

"I thought it was a nice touch, and I always listen when you're talking. You're voice is just so damn sexy, I can't help but listen. Let's go see if we can find something for breakfast."

Edward inhaled deeply as we came down the stairs. I had also thrown some cinnamon buns in to bake while I was making the coffee. The scent wafted through the air to us. He followed me in the kitchen and laughed when he saw Darcy sitting in front of the oven door, staring and drooling at the rising baked goods.

"I guess he likes cinnamon buns?"

Mr. Darcy turned his head to look at Edward when he heard his voice. He looked back and forth between the man and the buns. His curiosity got the best of him and he pulled himself up and walked over to sniff Edward, who stood perfectly still while Darcy sniffed first his hand and then, to my horror, his crotch. Edward jumped back reflexively and put one hand over his junk and the other out to the beast's muzzle to prevent a repeat of the crotch sniffage.

"Whoa, Mr. D! That's not how I roll, big guy! Ask your mom, I likey the girls. The human girls. Sorry, dude."

We both laughed at the bizarre moment and the dog just huffed at both of us. Satisfied that Edward was not a threat, Mr. Darcy returned to his post in front of the oven to await the buzzer.

I pulled out some fresh fruit, granola, and vanilla yogurt: my favorite breakfast. Edward passed on the yogurt, but agreed to the fruit and cinnamon buns once they were ready. The buzzer sounded just then, and Darcy stood up and barked at me, as if I hadn't heard the annoying sound.

Both man and beast's eyes followed every move I made as I put the buns on the counter to ice them and let them cool a bit. I felt like I circus side show.

"Edward, are you watching me like a hawk because of the cinnamon buns or because you're watching my buns when I bend over?"

"Hummmm, both?"

"Well, you have to wait a few on the cinnamon buns, but as for mine..."

I walked over to the bar stool he sat perched on, and leaned against him, my palms flat on his muscular chest and I reached up to kiss him. His hands snaked around and palmed my ass, giving it a firm squeeze.

"Hmmmm, these are the buns I really wanted, though the other ones smell amazing!"

He kissed me again, this time a little more deeply; the sensation of his stubble on my smooth skin caused me to moan into his open mouth.

"Bella, if you keep that up, we won't be eating any cinnabuns."

Edward playfully smacked my rear and I pushed away from him, knowing that we shouldn't start anything we couldn't finish. That thought reminded me that I wanted to talk to him about something that had come to me when he was getting dressed. I needed to talk about where he saw us going from here. I wasn't looking for declarations of undying love; I just wanted to know if we were on the same page. Hell, I knew we were attracted to each other, that was obvious, but was that all it was for him? I knew he had said otherwise, but did he mean it? I placed two cinnamon buns on a plate with some fruit and passed it to Edward. I leaned across the counter closer to him, just within reach of his fingertips.

"Um, Edward? Can we talk about something?"

"Sure, sweets. What's on your mind?"

He took a bite of the sticky bun and moaned as he did.

"These are the best damn things I have eaten in like, fucking forever."

I laughed at the fact that he found such deep satisfaction in canned pastry and at how he could work an expletive into each and every damn sentence that came from his lips. I really liked that about him. I really liked a lot of things about this man, but there were so many things that I still didn't know about him. And that was what my real problem was.

"Uh, thanks, I'll tell the Pillsbury Dough Boy that you approve of the recipe. The simplest things seem to make you happy."

"You're right, they do."

"Well, what else makes you happy?"

"What do you mean, love?"

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that, while we know that we have, um, chemistry, we really don't know much else about each other. There's so much I'd like to know about you, that I feel like I should know about you normally, if we were at this point in a 'relationship.' Do you know what I mean?"

He reached for my hand, and pulled it across the countertop towards him. With a gentle touch he spread my hand open and, bringing it to his lips, pressed a kiss onto my palm.

"I think I do, Bella. You're thinking that we are moving a little fast here, and I don't blame you. You want to really talk about this?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then, let's go somewhere more comfortable and do just that, hon."

He never let go of my hand, almost as if it were a lifeline between us, and led me to the couch in the living room. The French doors were open and a cross breeze blew softly through the room. Edward sat and pulled me down next to him. I curled into his side, pulling my feet up under me. Mr. Darcy, not one to be left out of anything, hopped up next to me and made himself comfortable, laying his head across my lap with a huff.

I smiled at Edward and he kissed my palm again before placing a sweet kiss on my forehead and then my lips.

"Talk to me, love. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I know its only been a few short days, but I'm more invested in this than you might think."

He must have read my mind, because that was exactly why I was nervous about talking with him. Was it too soon to be having deep discussions? Was I reading into "us" too much? Would he run if I told him what I was really thinking? But Edward quelled all those fears in a few short sentences. I felt completely at ease saying what I was about to say.

"I know that we have literally known each other a total two and a half days-"

"Actually, it's been exactly two days and twenty- one hours."

"Um, okay... not that we're frigging counting or anything. Like I was saying, we haven't known each other long enough to be considered acquaintances, much less lovers. Yet, here we are. I don't want you to have the wrong impression of me. I'm not a whore. I do not sleep around. You are only the third person I've had sex with, not that I've been an nun, mind you, but your peen is one of a select few who have seen the "promised land" so to speak."

Edward snickered when he heard my nickname for my girlie bits.

"Bella, I don't think you are a whore, in fact I respect you more than you could know, and I hope you don't think that I'm just after a fine piece of ass. I'm not sure exactly what this is," he gestured to the space between us, "but I really want to find out. I believe that it is, or at the very least, could be something amazing. I'm willing to try and see. Are you?"

With two, tiny words, Edward had managed to voice the one, most important point I had wanted to make. Those words were the whole point of this painfully awkward conversation. I decided to take my cue from him and keep it short and sweet. We could work through the details later.

"Yes. I am."

"Okay. That settles it. We are officially going to see where this road takes us. But that's not all that's bothering you, hon. I can see it in your eyes. What else do you need to talk about, Bella?"

"Ah, well. The sex..."

"The sex? What? Is it not good?"

"Oh, fuck no! It's the best I've ever had-"

"The BEST? Really? Wow...You sure know how to stroke a guy's ego."

"Focus, Cullen. Yes, you are the best lay I have ever had. I don't know how flattering that is, seeing as I just admitted that you are only the third man that I've slept with, but anyway... the point is, when I'm with you all I can think about is getting my hands on you, and your clothes off of you... If we're gonna try to make this work I need to be able to have a conversation with you, with my clothes on. In other words-"

"You are calling a sexbargo."

"Huh?"

"A sexbargo. No more sex."

"Um, yeah. For a little while, at least. Just until we have some time to establish more than the physical connection we seem to so easily have."

I expected him to argue, throw a fit, beg, but never did I expect his actual reaction.

"I agree. I say we both call a sexbargo. There's more I want to know about you, too, Bella, and it's really hard to fucking concentrate when you're naked."

"So. What do you suggest we do with all this newfound free time we'll have now that we aren't going to be trying to get into each other's pants?"

"Oh, I never said I was going to stop trying to get in your pants, Bella. No way. I just said that I'd hold off having fuckhot sex with you. There's a difference."

I cleared my throat at his admission. This man could drive me crazy with his words alone; even if he never touched me again he could send me shuddering over the edge. I shivered as a memory from the night before moved through my stream of consciousness. He definitely had a delicious way with words.

"Touché. There is indeed a difference. I believe we should find something to occupy our time with before this becomes a game of cat and mouse. I could sit here all day teasing you and having you tease me, but that would only serve to work us both into a tizzy. It doesn't take much to get us hot and bothered; I'm surprised we haven't burst into flames at this point. So how about we finish the tour? You didn't see the first floor last night. Are you interested?"

"Garages, engines, cycles, and the chance to watch you walk down the stairs? You bet I'm interested!"

I made a mental note to check the fire extinguishers I had stashed around the house. I had a feeling we were gonna need them in the coming weeks with all the friction and heat we could generate. I playfully smacked the shoulder I was curled against, and his hand cupped the back of my head; pulling me in for a sweet, lingering kiss. I stood and held out my hand, which he eagerly took. I led him to the stairs, hidden behind a white door.

I flipped on the lights as I walked down the staircase, but they weren't necessary- there were plenty of windows down here as well. Edward stopped on the second stair from the bottom. I may not have noticed had I not been holding his hand.

"What, babe?"

"You have two bikes."

It wasn't a question, but a statement, and his voice held a hint of awe.

"Yeah, I do. One is my old one; she was my first, and I can't bear to part with her."

He walked over to the Harley and ran his hand along the leather seat, raising an eyebrow to me when his hand met the paint.

"Pink? You have a pink Hog? I didn't even think they made this color! And, it sparkles!"

"Yes, pink. And Harley Davidson will paint a bike any fucking color you want if you pay them enough. But to be honest, it's more red than pink, smart ass."

Edward laughed and pulled me to him, resting his hands lightly on my hips.

"No, this is definitely pink, love, and it's really fucking cute, too. I just never figured you for a 'pink' girl."

"I believe that we've established that there's a lot that you don't know about me."

"Yet."

"Yet, that's correct."

He was looking past my shoulder, over at the other two examples of my extravagant tastes in vehicles; to the Porsche and Mercedes that were parked a few feet away.

"Nice, Bella. You have excellent taste in vehicles. The only thing missing is an Eclipse Chopper, but everything in due time... "

I snickered against his chest and pulled him toward the "play room".

His jaw dropped when I opened the door.

"What is this wonderland?"

"Um, a game room?"

I watched as he slowly circled the large open space. He dragged his hand along the felt of the pool table and looked back at me.

"I guess you're a UF fan, huh?"

He gestured from my shirt to the University of Florida logo that was emblazoned across the blue felt of the table. The entire room was decorated almost like a shrine to my favorite college team.

"Yeah, I am. I had always wanted to go to school there, but then, when I moved to Forks to be with my Dad, it just seemed like the better decision to stay close to him. I felt we needed more time together. It was a good choice, but I still wish that I'd gone to UF. Oh, well. Can't change the past, right?"

"Yeah, you're right about that. There's plenty I'd change if that were the case."

"Really? Like what?"

He shifted his weight and leaned back against the table rim, pulling me to him. The contact of his hands on my body sent my heart racing. I loved the feel of him close to me. His voice was hushed and serious as he spoke.

"We all have things we'd do differently, Bella. My biggest mistake was my marriage to Masen's mother, Jessica. Sure, she gave me Masen, but we should have never gotten married. We were way too young and wanted totally different things. Like you said, though, you can't change the past."

"No, but you can affect the future."

I stood on my toes and pressed a kiss along his scruffy jaw. His arm encircled my waist and his lips found mine. It wasn't long before we were lost in the feel of each other. Lips, chests, hips: pressed together. Edward broke our contact, clearing his throat and running his hand through his hair.

"Wow, that's quite a flat screen T.V. Does it have a gaming system attached to it?"

"Nice, segue, Cullen, and yes, it does. An XBox 360, to be exact."

I moved towards the walk in closet to the left of the T.V. that housed all the games and electronic components for the entertainment unit.

"Man, that is so fucking hot!" He grabbed my ass before giving it a firm smack. He surprised me by the gesture and I cried out.

"Are you referring to the system or my ass?"

I gaped at him, expecting an explanation. I got none. Instead, he asked, "You have the latest Madden? Then I'd say that you are about to get you hot ass kicked by your boyfriend! You ready for this?"

He gestured to himself.

'Girlfriend'? I chose to let that one slide. I'd call him on it later.

"I was born ready, Edward. Bring it."

~oOo~

Tuesday PM

I drove down into the parking garage as Edward had instructed me. It had taken me exactly seven minutes to reach his condo complex. It was beach side, and recently built and beautifully designed. I had taken notice of the water park worthy pool area as I pulled in. This place had every amenity.

I easily found Edward's chopper parked near the elevator and slid into the space next to it reserved for his visitors. I climbed out of my Porsche, grabbing my briefcase as I slid off the cream colored leather seats. I had taken great care in choosing the songs I wanted to work on with Masen. I wanted them to be challenging, but not frustratingly so. At least not in our first week working together.

It was a short elevator ride up to the third floor. I paused in front of Edward's door, suddenly nervous. Should I have dressed better than a pair of shorts and a cheesy top? Should I even be at his house considering our newly titled relationship? It was hard to believe that it had been less than a day since I'd seen him last and he'd teased me and called me his girlfriend. It was amazing what a difference a day could make.

I took a deep breath and shoved down all the second and third thoughts I was having and simply knocked. Almost immediately he was at the door. It swung open and there he stood. Real, warm, and so beautiful. I searched his face for some clue as to what he could be thinking, but his eyes were in constant motion, moving up and down my frame, taking me in. A smirk crossed his face when he registered what my t-shirt read. It was a play on words. My girlfriends and I had them made when we were seniors in high school. "I get wet in Forks, WA" was a nod to the near constant rainfall in the small town, but to pervy teens it had an altogether different meaning. I had a few dozen of these left over from when the entire school had seen our few examples and had all wanted their own. The ones that I had stashed in a box in the back of my closet were all that remained. The funniest part was the last time I'd been to visit Charlie, my dad, I'd seen an older, white haired woman wearing one of the tank tops. I wondered where the hell she'd gotten it from and if I should inform her of its other meaning, but decided against it.

I was a little surprised when I found my back pressed to his front door with his lips hungry on mine and his hand rubbing against the wet heat between my legs, but I wasn't one to complain, and I wasn't about to start now. Reluctantly, I conceded to his reasoning that we couldn't possibly continue like this- Masen was bound to come in and find us in this compromising position. Then we'd have some real explaining to do, with no explanation to give. Not to mention that we had called a mutual "sexbargo" just yesterday. All this pawing and panting, while not breaking it, was defiantly pushing the boundaries. There was only one place to go from here: bliss, ecstasy, the land of rainbows and unicorns; AKA Edward's bed. I was both relieved and disappointed when he reminded me that this had been my idea to begin with. I loved that he supported and agreed with me, though. Loved. There was that word again. It seemed to be popping up more and more when I thought of this man. I reminded myself that it was way too damn soon to be throwing that word around, if only in my head.

Edward headed off to collect Masen as I settled in at the piano. It was remarkably like mine. My piano at home was the first thing I bought after I purchased the house. It was my dream instrument. When I had lived with Renee and Phil as a young girl we had a beautiful standing player piano. It would record as you played, burning it onto a disk. The piano would then play itself back to you which was very helpful when you were composing a complicated piece. Later, when I was sixteen and moved to Forks with Charlie, I had an old, worn, but well tuned standing Zimmermann. It did its job, but the instrument I purchased when I moved back to Florida was the Rolls Royce of pianos, and it was my pride and joy. I didn't even have a bed when it was delivered. That night I slept beneath it in a sleeping bag on an air mattress. Mr. Darcy was just a tiny puppy, and we curled up together under the belly of the baby grand. That night, and for a few after it, I'd dreamt of symphonies and opuses.

Masen practically ran to me, throwing his arms around my waist and hugging me tightly. At nine years old he was mature in so many ways that it was easy to forget how young he really was. I loved these moments. This age was old enough to begin to seriously focus on honing their talents, but still young enough to want hugs and reassurance.

They're little psyches are so vulnerable and fragile at this age. Hell, I was his age when...

I pushed that thought violently to the back of my mind. I couldn't think about nine year old Bella right now. I'd be a mess and then I'd have to explain that very painful portion of my past to Edward. I was positive that he wasn't ready to handle that fraction of me yet. Part of me wondered if he would ever be ready, or if I would ever be ready to share it with him, for that matter.

Masen's chatter brought me out of my dark haze and reminded me of why I was here.

"Hey there. Masen! How has your afternoon been?"

"Oh. Fine. I went to the shop after school, like usual. I did get all of my homework done, though."

"And you cleaned your room." Edward's deep voice made its way into our conversation.

"Dad! You don't have to tell her every little detail of my life! Geesh."

"Oh, sorry, Masen. Is there anything you two need? I'm going to get out of your way now. Just yell if you need anything..."

I thanked him, and Masen and I settled in for our lesson. I couldn't help watching Edward leave the room. He looked just as good going as he did coming.

Damn.

I turned my attention to the little guy who looked and acted so much like his father. I decided to tease Edward just a few moments more from another room.

"I can't wait to see which songs you brought with you, Ms. S!"

"We'll see how excited you are after the first lesson, little man. You may not be quite so happy with me afterwards. I'm pretty demanding of my private students."

"Oh, I'm ready; besides, I already know you're tough from school. How bad could it be?"

"You are so on, buster! You're gonna be crying like a little baby by the time this lesson is over!"

He snickered and asked what was first.

"Masen, would you play a little Debussy for me; to warm up? Maybe Clair de Lune?"

"Sure, Ms. Swan, but I thought you said that Clair de Lune was for amateurs?"

"It is, Masen. We're just going to warm up with it. You take the bottom notes and I'll take the top. Ready?"

We played side by side for a few bars before we heard Edward's laughter carry in through the open doors to the balcony.

"We thought you'd like that one!"

Once we were warmed up, I introduced Masen to a piece I was certain he'd never seen or heard. It was beautiful and rather challenging. I knew this kid could handle it, though. "Le Petit Negre", another Debussy, was sweet and fun. It would give him the chance to learn some new techniques and keep him occupied until Thursday. I had decided that I'd only introduce one new challenging song today, so as not to overwhelm him with the first lesson. I had also brought a piece by a modern artist. "Kiss the Rain" by Yiruma was simple, but beautiful. It required a good grasp on time signature and patience, not to mention mature emotional development. I would be surprised if Masen showed up at my place for his lesson on Thursday and these two pieces were anything but perfect. I knew this kid, and I knew what he was capable of. I found that I was just as excited as he was to be sharing this time together.

Masen was such a little gentleman when we were finished. He graciously walked me to the door and held it open as I left. I was disappointed that I wouldn't get to wish Edward a proper goodbye, but I couldn't very well stick my tongue down this throat and grab his ass in front of his son. I settled for a simple wave and, "See you later". It took everything in me to walk away from those two guys.

~oOo~

I couldn't suppress the giggle that escaped as I stepped onto the elevator and the doors began to close behind me. I had just received a text from Edward, promising me that he'd be calling me later. Later couldn't come soon enough. Inches before the doors to the elevator were about to shut, a hand thrust between them, forcing them to open again. I jumped and stepped further back into the elevator car. When the doors opened more I realized that it was Edward who had stopped the doors.

"Edward? What are you doing?"

The door slid closed, and he pulled me to him. He ignored my question as his mouth found mine, and he kissed me hungrily at first, then tenderly. All too soon he pulled back. Thankfully he kept his arms wrapped around me. A sigh escaped his chest and his forehead bent to mine.

"I couldn't let you leave me like that. I had to tell you good-bye properly. May I walk you to your bike?

"Oh, I brought the Porsche. I need to stop at the store before I head home, and the bike's not the most conducive to transporting groceries."

We walked out of the elevator into the garage under his condo; he took my briefcase in one hand and wrapped the other around my waist.

"Which way did you park, hon?"

I gestured towards my blue sports car. Edward had openly admired it yesterday morning. He led me over with his hand in the small of my back.

"I really like that vehicle. You think I could drive it some time?"

"You can take it for a spin anytime, Edward. All you have to do is ask."

I waggled my eyebrows at him and he laughed at the ridiculous gesture.

"I believe I just did, hon.

We talked a little while longer by my car about when we might be able to see each other again. Edward had me pinned against the frame before too long. After several minutes of breathless kisses and exploring hands, the garage door rumbled open and a monstrous Hummer pulled into the garage and drove off to park. Edward pushed off from me and stood a respectable distance from me, but kept one hand resting against the hood of the Porsche. My hands, which were resting on his chest grabbed him by the waist of his pants and pulled him back towards me.

"I wasn't finished kissing you, Cullen."

"Well, I wasn't finished kissing you either, but that ridiculous show of machinery was my brother and his fiancé, so I think that we'll have to be finished- for now. Besides, Masen is bound to be wondering what took me so long. I told him I needed to get directions to your place for Thursday's lesson."

He ran his hand nervously through his hair and then placed it on my hip. Looking around and finally satisfied that no one was able to see, he leaned in for one last, sweet kiss. I opened my mouth to invite him to deepen the connection and he licked my lip, grazing my bottom teeth and the tip of his tongue in the process. I couldn't help the moan that escaped my chest, it almost rumbled there. Edward's hand tightened on my hip and jerked me to him roughly.

"Did you just fucking growl at me?"

"Not intentionally, but that was hot. If you keep that up the sexbargo won't survive past a twenty-four hour period. I'm gonna go before..."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. I'll call you later, Bella. Have a good evening."

"Oh, I will. I'll be thinking of all the things I want to learn about you so we can end this self-imposed celibacy. Not to mention all the things I want you to do with those hands of yours."

His hands slid around behind me and grabbed my ass, and mine did the same to his. It was meant to be more playful than seductive, but anytime this man's hands were on my body it was seductive.

"Bella, I know we said no sex, but I don't know if I can keep my hands off of you. We may need to renegotiate the terms of the sexbargo."

"Oh, no, mister! Don't start that with me right now! Go! You're "girlfriend" needs to get to the store, and you need to get back to Masen before he starts cleaning and reorganizing the fridge!"

Edward chuckled at my sad attempt at a joke. He placed one more quick kiss on my lips and stepped back. The space the small movement created was small, mere inches, but it felt like a chasm. I could already feel the need to touch him again. I climbed into my car and he closed the door behind me. Eager to still be near him, I started the car and let the window down. Edward's heard popped in and kissed my cheek.

"I'll see you soon and talk to you tonight."

His promise did little to quell the sadness I could feel building.

"Okay. Talk to you soon, then. Bye, Edward."

"Bye, Bella,"

~oOo~

I made a quick trip to the store to get the things I needed for the week and headed home. By the time I had put away the groceries and tended to Mr. Darcy and Chaucer it was after eight p.m.; way to damn late to be cooking. It wasn't my first choice, but I grabbed some of the left over lasagna from dinner with Edward two nights earlier. I had taken the majority of it to my Mom and Phil when I went and visited like I'd promised, but I still had a little left.

I stood near the microwave and waited for it to heat up. My mind wandered to the brief time I had spent with the two of them on Monday. I'd left not long after Edward had. It had been a beautiful day for a ride. I was looking forward to showing off my new bike and spending some real time on it for the first time. The ride to Jax Beach was about thirty minutes long, so I had a little time to think. I started out thinking about Edward and the time we'd spent together. I was genuinely surprised how at ease I was with Edward. For all intents and purposes, we were strangers, having only known each other a few short days, but I felt more connected to that man then I had felt to anyone in my life. Sure, I was close to Renee, but there had been things that I just couldn't, no- that I wouldn't share with her. I couldn't be the one to remind her and bring her more pain. No, I would just keep my memories to myself and share the happy shit with her. She was more comfortable with happy anyway.

Charlie had always been a warm and caring father, just not very good at conveying his feelings. I always knew that he loved me, despite everything, but I also knew that discussing our feelings was not an option. This was fine with me. During the time that I had lived with him, sharing my feelings was the last thing I had wanted to be doing. So, the arrangement worked well for the both of us.

I'd had a few close girlfriends in Forks; Angela and Leah were the two closest. We were inseparable. Charlie called us "The Three Musketeer-ets"; hell, he still did. From shopping, to boys, to dark secrets from the past; the "TMs" were as close as I had felt to this connection with Edward. It wasn't simply the sex with him. There was more, something deeper. For as close as I was to those two women, and as much as I had told them, I had not told them everything. When I was with Edward I felt an almost physical need to tell him everything. Past, present, and future. Tell him of long forgotten dreams. Tell him of reoccurring nightmares. Tell him of my hopes and desires for what was to come.

There hadn't been someone like that in my life in...

In eighteen years. Almost two decades...

The microwave beeped, alerting me to the hunger in my stomach and the ache in my heart. Had it really been almost twenty fucking years? Where had the time gone? I was distracted by my revelation, and forgot that the bowl would be hot. I reached in with my bare hands and pulled it out.

"Fuck! Fuckity, fuck, fuck, fuck! Damn, that's hot!"

Darcy, who was sitting not far from me, looked at me and cocked his head to the side. Then he looked almost disappointed that I hadn't dropped the food on the floor.

"Sorry, big guy, this is my dinner. Yours is over there, in your bowl."

I picked up the bowl again, careful to use a dishtowel to insulate my hands from the heat this time, and carried it to the dinette table off the kitchen. Then I went and poured a glass of my favorite white wine and sat down to eat. My mind wandered back to where it was moments before.

Twenty years. More than four times her lifetime, and yet, my life continues almost as if hers never did.

That really wasn't true or fair. My life had ceased to "continue" the day her's ended. As I sat at the table in my kitchen, I allowed myself a rare moment to remember her. Really remember her. I couldn't let go this way often, it was just so hard to recover afterwards.

Beautiful. Bright blue eyes filled with wonder and awe. Golden ringlets that bounced when she giggled. Oh, the laugh. It could rival the songs of angels. Her smile, that even when I would get so very angry with over some childish argument or another, could melt my heart and cool my anger. Her hugs- how her tiny arms would wrap around my waist and squeeze my middle. The voice that would plead with me to play for her or sing her "our song".

"Sing it, please, Sissy. I can't sleep if you don't sing it for me. Pleeease?"

"Okay, Reese, but only once. I'm so tired and I can't stay up singing all night for you.

"The clouds will rage and the storms will race in,

but you will be safe, in my arms.

Rains will pour down,

waves will crash around,

but you will be safe, in my arms."

"You always take care of me, Sissy. That's what big sisters do, right? They take care of their little sisters."

"That's right. Now if you don't go to sleep I'll get Mom in here to take care of you. I'm tired and so are you."

"Just sing 'til I fall 'sleep. Please. I'm almost there. Please, Sis?"

I allowed myself to remember how she would crawl into my bed and curl her tiny frame around mine, burying her hands in my dark hair. She said it was like silk. Her tiny hand would comb and twist it as I sang to her, until it finally stilled and she slept.

I would never feel that touch again. In those quiet moments in the dark I would whisper my hopes and dreams to the only soul in the world who I felt would understand them- my baby sister. Only three short years separated us, but there were times when I felt as if she were my own child. I loved caring for her and mothering her. I also loved being her "bestest friend".

My tears flowed unchecked onto the tabletop as I remembered the child who all of our lives had revolved around. After all these years the pain was still so fresh. I was mourning her as if she had died just yesterday. I was that little eight year old girl again; sad, scared, broken, alone. There was so much we shared, and it was gone just as she was gone.

We shared a talent, a connection through our music. We'd sit at the piano bench for hours, our legs would go numb from hanging in the air, but we refused to tuck them beneath us. That just wasn't good form, and good form was crucial for good playing! It was the same piano that sat at Charlie's home in Forks. He'd offered to let me have it when I moved back to Florida, but I could only picture it either with him or back in our home in Arizona.

Arizona. We were so happy there. Until the accident, that is. After that horrible night everything changed. Mom and Dad couldn't deal with the pain. Their marriage couldn't survive the strain of losing a child. None of us could live in the home that had once been so filled with her life. I refused to sleep in our room or play on our piano. Renee and Charlie never spoke, and when they did it was in hushed, angry tones. One day they announced over breakfast that Charlie was moving to live in the town he'd grown up in- Forks, Washington; and that Renee and I would be moving to Jacksonville, Florida. Renee sounded excited at the idea of living on the beach, but I could hear her heartbreak woven into her voice. And I had caused that heartbreak. Our entire family was shattered and broken- because of me.

My entire life had been an exercise in being the person Reese would never get the chance to be. Oh, I lived my life for me, but I had done everything with added conviction and purpose, because Reese could not. She had often told me how she wanted to be a teacher when she "grewed up". When the time came for me to declare a major in college, I figured that going for a teaching degree was as good as any; I could always change it if I wasn't happy. As it turned out, I was actually a fairly decent teacher and really enjoyed teaching. Yet another way for myself and the Angel to be close.

Eight years. My entire life could be divided into eight year intervals. Eight years in Arizona with Theresa. Eight years in Florida with Renee. Eight years in Washington with Charlie. I wondered what would mark the next eight.

The phone rang then. It buzzed and vibrated across the table next to my untouched dinner. I brushed the moisture from my eyes and quickly cleared my voice, trying to compose myself enough to answer it. I recognized the name as I answered the phone as best as I could. It was Edward.

"Hello?"

"Bella? Is that you? Your voice sounds odd, are you alright? It almost sounds like you've been crying."

"Oh, um. I'm fine, Edward. Just a trip down memory lane, that's all."

I made a less than attractive sound as I blew my nose as quietly as I could into my dinner napkin.

"Oh, my god. You have been crying. What's the matter? No, wait, I'm coming over. I'll be there in seven minutes or less."

"No, Edward, really, I'm fine. I was remembering some things and they made me a touch emo, that's all. I'm really okay."

"Just say the word, baby, and I'll be over there. My sister lives across the hall with her husband, and I can get her to come over here with Masen. I'm serious. Just tell me to come over and I will.

"That's sweet, but I don't think it's necessary. I just need a good long soak in the tub and to hit the sack early."

"Well, if you're sure..."

"I'm sure."

We talked as I cleaned up the kitchen and let Darcy out for a break. I felt the same sense of loss as I had earlier when we hung up the phone. It was overwhelming, and I almost broke down again, but I managed to make it to the tub with my glass of wine that I'd yet to drink. I slipped under the cool sheets after my therapeutic soak, and quickly drifted to sleep. My dreams were of sweet, little Reese and Edward. They were walking on either side of me, each holding a hand.

~oOo~

A/N: That's Ch5! Chapter 6 is already in the works! Thanks for reading, now, Go and REVIEW!!!

Forever, Liz


	6. Aliases and Alliances

CH 6- TRoYL Aliases and Alliances

**_A/N:_**_ So? Did you love New Moon as much as I did? How many times have you seen it? I probably should'd admit to this, but I have seen it more than three times and fewer than six. In theaters that is... ;) _

_A BIG thanks to my beloved beta, _**_Dizzygrl28_**_. I love you._

_A special thanks to _**_TwilightMundi _**_for giving this the once over as well! It's nice to have another set of eyes to look over my mess! _

_Love and props to my home girls and RL tweeps: _**_Bqotfu, AD76, Lee723, & Megsly_**_. I adore you ladies! (Check out their fics, they are all outstanding authors!)_

_Lastly, Edward and Bella get Twitter accounts in this chapter, and they also have them in real life! Haha! They pass dirty messages back and forth, not to mention slip upcoming details, so follow them! Edward's is _RideItHard_ and Bella's is _SwanSong87_. _

~oOo~

EPOV

_Two weeks. Two _long_ weeks. _

It's not like I couldn't go without sex. Hell, I could rub one out like no one's business, but what I really wanted was _Bella_. I understood and agreed with Bella's argument that we needed to get to know each other. I felt the same way, but it didn't change the fact that each and every time I was near her I was sporting major wood. That woman had a hold over me like no other.

I had settled for showing her how I felt in other, less sexual ways. We'd met several times in the past few weeks. We would sneak off together at every possible chance. Sometimes we would grab dinner, other times we would go to Freebird's to hear a local band play, but mostly we'd hang out at her house and just spend time alone. When we weren't squeezing in time together, then we were texting or emailing. I'd even signed up for a Twitter account because she loved the damned social network thing. My username was _RideItHard_ and Bella's was _SwanSong87. _I loved tweeting her suggestive messages and then watching her "tweeps", as she called them, go ape shit asking who the perv was sending her dirty messages through Twitter. I loved it even more when she would reply with an equally dirty message. Her friends had seen the messages too, and were desperately trying to figure out who Bella's mystery man was. Either that or they were hitting on me! _AD76, megsly07, Dizzygrl28, lee723,_ and the curvaceous _Bqotfu_ were all following me, and it was rare that I didn't get a tweet from one or all of them each day.

It amazed me how I reacted to her, that my skin still tingled at her chaste touch, or that my heart would slam against my ribcage when I saw her. She could drive me crazy simply by looking at me a certain way. I'd sent her flowers twice. The first time I sent them to the school, only to get a text message that profusely thanked me for the beautiful gesture in one line, and in the next, threatened to endanger my ability to procreate in the future. I'll admit that it probably wasn't the best fucking idea I ever had, but at least I'd had the common sense to not sign it from _me_. I had the florist sign the card,_ "A bloom for each time I think about you in a day. ~The Peen."_ I couldn't be too big of a sap. Someday, when Emmett and Jasper found about us, and they _would _find out, I didn't want to be providing them with any more fodder than abso-fucking-lutely necessary. Those two asstards could be ruthless. The second arrangement had been sent to her home, but I played it safe and signed that one from "The Peen" as well. Those flowers received a much warmer reception; that night I had been rewarded with a pic of Bella with one of the flowers tucked behind her ear. She was beautiful.

As difficult it was for me to keep my hands off Bella, the sexbargo was definitely doing what it was designed to do. We talked about everything. Masen was a topic that came up often in our discussions. Bella wanted to know what he was like when he was younger; she asked when I had first noticed he had a special talent, and what it was like raising a child like Masen. We talked about our families. I warned her about my crazy- as- fuck family, and she filled me in on hers. Old relationships of fuck-ups past were discussed, and I even talked to her about Jessica. A little. I thought it was too soon to be discussing the biggest mistake I'd made in my lifetime. I wanted to find reasons for this woman to stick around, not run her off. More than once I'd fallen asleep in Bella's bed after we'd talked for hours, her tucked beneath my arm. It was a constant battle between "Woody" and "Goody", the two personalities that had become most dominate in my character. Woody was the horny fucker who would threaten to force Goody to do bad, bad things to Ms. Bella Swan. Goody was the caring, supportive boyfriend who did everything in his power to hold Woody at, um- arm's length from Bella's lady bits. Goody usually won, but there were the moments when Woody would overpower the forces of good, and then hands would start cupping and groping, lips would be roaming, and hips would begin rubbing.

It was just such a night last night as Bella and I lay wrapped up in her fluffy comforter. We were talking about when we might want to tell our families about us seeing each other. I had the feeling it might need to be sooner than later, because of what Rose and Em had seen in the parking garage a few weeks back. Em had been ribbing me non-stop since he'd caught a glimpse of me pressing Bella back against her Porsche on Tuesday.

_"So, who's the hot bitch, mister "Imma Going Camping"?"_

_"Don't call her that; and what the hell are you talking about camping for?"_

_"Ooooh. Sorry, man! I had no idea you were so sensitive about a woman we, _your family_, didn't even know you were seeing, much less banging. And before you deny it, the tent you're pitching in those pants is a clear sign that you're either doing her or dying to. So, spill it!" I glanced nervously around the shop, worried that someone may have overheard the ass that stood before me. _

Fuck, had no one taught this guy how to use his "inside voice"?

_I answered him in hushed tones, hoping he'd take the hint and lower his own booming voice._

_"I'm not 'banging' anyone, Em, and I'd rather not discuss the situation right now. I'd really appreciate it if you didn't mention any of this around Masen. I'm not ready to bring him into this yet."_

_Well, it was true; I wasn't banging Bella at the moment. And I wouldn't tell Emmett even if I was. Not to mention that the second I told my drain bramaged brother that I was seeing his nephew's teacher he'd be down at that school, scoping her out before the bell rang at the start of school. Nosy son of a...._

_"I'm warning you, brother. You either tell me, or I find out on my own, and you know what happens when I have to work for my information."_

_"Yeah, Em, you become a pissy bitch."_

_"That's right, I do. So.... ?"_

_"So, what, Emmett? I'm so not going to divulge any information, so just build a fucking bridge and get over it."_

_"I swear, Eddie boy, you've been acting so bizarre lately. Like, really bizarre. Were you abducted by aliens, or something?"_

_"Do _not _call me 'Eddie', Emmie! You're an asshat, and I have not been acting any differently. What is this shit about an alien abduction? You've been watching the Sy-Fy channel again, haven't you? You know that shit's not real, right? I swear, you must be adopted. _You_ are the bizarre one!"_

_My big oaf of a brother whacked the back of my head with his oversized gargantuan hand. Not gonna lie, that shit hurt, but I'd be damned if I'd let _him_ know that._

_"Shut it, little bro. You've already admitted to me that you and Little Miss Fuck Hot are knocking boots, just by your reaction earlier. Why don't you just take off your _mangina_ and tell your big bro all about the pretty thang you had shoved up against that orgasmic piece of machinery?"_

_"Fuck off, Emmett. I'm not telling you anything, and the more you push, the more I'm gonna want to kick the shit out of you. No means no, buddy. Didn't Dad have that talk with you when you started having warm, tingly feelings 'down there'?" I gestured to his nether regions with a nod of my head. _

_It took Alice's voice lilting over the PA system to enact a truce between the two of us._

_"Would the panty wearing pussies who are currently fighting over whose dick is bigger, cut it the fuck out? Just whip 'em out already and see whose is bigger instead of subjecting the rest us to your dicksaber battle? Then get back to work, and get some shit done today! Thank you!"_

_Jasper's laughter could be heard all the way across the garage. He couldn't help but throw his two cents in._

_"You know he's gonna find out, Edward. He's a sneaky little 'asshat'. He'll go to any lengths to get the inside scoop. He's like Perez Hilton, on steroids!" _

_The garage was filled with Jasper's laugh, once again; this time it was joined by a choir of other booming laughs from around the garage._

_Emmett was called "Perez" for the rest of the week. It was a fuckawesome week._

Since we'd had that conversation, Emmett had tried to trick me into spilling the beans about Bella every chance he got. It was annoying as hell, but I was onto his scheme. I was very careful as to which details I let slip around him and the others. It's not easy to have a secret rendezvous when you have a nine year old son. It was obvious to me, fairly quickly, that I needed someone in my corner that would help. The first person who came to mind was my sister, Alice.

She was the baby of the family, though only by a few minutes. We were twins, and never were there two very different twins. I was quiet, mostly- I reserved my redonkulous antics for my family; while Alice was hyper, obnoxious, and _very_ opinionated. At six feet, two inches I was a fairly tall guy. Alice on the other hand- she was a tiny troll. A mere four feet, eleven inches, she was barely taller than my son. She really wasn't a troll. Hell, we shared a womb for nine plus months. It's pretty safe to say that if one of us were a short, bitchy, bridge dwelling fictional character the other would know it, or probably be one as well. I just loved calling her one because it was a quick way to piss her off. Once, I had even given her one of those troll kewpie dolls with the crazy hair and naked ass. She was not amused.

Regardless of who gave whom a hard time, we were two sides of the same coin. At least that's what Mom had always said. As a whole, Alice, Emmett and I were all very close. Hell, we all lived in the same damn condo complex, worked together, and spent the majority of our free time together. That being said, Alice and I had a bond, I guess all twins do, really, and we never were ones to fight. Emmett and I would beat the shit out of each other when we were kids, just for shits and giggles. But Alice and I were always each other's biggest champions. We were always straight with each other. It was Alice who convinced the family to tell me how they felt about Jessica when we were first dating and getting serious; although I didn't listen. It was Alice who convinced me that, as much as I loved Jess, there was no way I could force her to love Masen and I back. It was Alice who understood when I mourned my failed marriage. And it was Alice who had been badgering me for longer than I could fucking remember to get back into a serious relationship.

_"Edward, you're not the 'confirmed bachelor' type. You need the love of a good woman in yours and Masen's life. Stop whoring around and find someone who can take care of you both." _

_"I think Masen and I do a pretty fucking fantastic job of taking care of each other, Alice. Why would we need a woman to do that?"_

_"You know what I mean, asshole. Masen needs a mother figure. Sure- Mom, Rose, and I all mother him, but he needs someone to sing him to sleep, make him cookies, and kiss his boo-boos."_

_"You guys do all of that for him, and I _used_ to sing him to sleep. Then he 'grew out of it.'"_

_"It's not the same thing, and you know it. He needs a mom, so grow some balls and find one._

I knew that I needed to bring Alice into the loop. She would be in my corner, as always. She'd help me keep this thing with Bella secret a little longer so we could have more time to figure things out before my crazy ass family bulldozed their way into the middle of it. She could help with keeping Masen occupied when Bella and I were trying to squeeze in time together. Best of all, she could help keep Emmett off my ass. He was a nosey fucker, considering he had the wrong damn plumbing. You'd think he had a uterus as much as he was all up in other people's business! So I went to the one person I knew could and would help. Alice.

A week into seeing Bella I'd sent Alice a text. I didn't want anyone overhearing our conversation. I couldn't decide if I felt more like James Bond or a horny ass teenager sneaking around behind everyone's back.

_I need to talk with you in *private*. Meet me at Starbucks at 3PM. Thanks. ~E_

I received the shortest text ever in response, "_K._" I was shocked, but I knew that she would keep her trap shut and be there.

She was sitting at a back table with two large cups of coffee in front of her, as well as a rather large piece of the most delicious looking carrot cake I had ever fucking seen. I sat down and took the lid off my cup. Men _don't_ drink from sippy cups, and that's exactly what that shit looked like. A sippy cup. The scent of pumpkin spice drifted up as I breathed in the steam. I would have never ordered this for myself, but it was just what I needed.

"How the hell do you always know exactly what I want from here?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Twinsie."

"Please don't fucking call me that in public, and yes, you do know what I'm talking about. Every time, without fail, you pick out the perfect cup of coffee. It's not like I get the same thing every time like Jasper or Rose. Yet, every time I ask you to get me some SB crack, you bring me back exactly what I'd been craving. Sometimes, _I _don't even know that I'm craving it! It's like you have a sixth sense."

"You're strange, Edward. Do you know that?"

"So I've been told. But, seriously, Alice, how did you know that I'd been thinking about carrot cake all day?"

"I didn't, Edward. The cake's for me. Touch it and you'll draw back a nub."

She eyed me with the look of a Samurai warrior. It was hard not to laugh at her.

"Oh, please! Like you could stop me! Besides, you _cannot_ finish that entire piece of cake yourself."

"Watch me, nimrod, and I swear if you touch it.... bloody stump. Try. Me."

"Whoa! Must be 'that time,' huh? Fine. Eat your giant piece of fucking delicious cake, or should I just stick it to your ass? That's where it's going to end up anyway."

It must have really been that time of the month, 'cause Alice shot me a look that almost killed me it so was lethal, and then she took a huge bite of _her_ cake.

"Talk or I'm leaving. I have better shit to do than sit here with you, Pumpkin Spice."

"Okay, okay! For the love of all that is sweet and yummy, I'll get my _own_ damn piece of cake, and then we'll talk, ok?"

"Whatever."

When I sat down with my equally enormous slice of heaven, Alice cut to the chase.

"So, why the secret meeting, Bond?"

"Well, there's something I wanted to talk to you about, but I don't want the rest of the family to know. Yet."

"Really? What's the big deal? Hmmm.... Eddie has a secret; I wonder what it could be.... SHIT! You aren't doing Jessica again, are you? You'd better say no, and say it fast, mister, or that scalding coffee is going all over your lap. I'll make it so you can never stuff that sausage anywhere ever again."

She moved to reach for my cup, but I snatched it out of her reach.

"Fuck no! This sausage is never going near that _clam cave_ ever again, of that you can be damn sure!"

"So, what's the big secret?"

"I met someone."

"Okayyy..."

"Ali, she's amazing. No. She's fan-fucking-tastic. I've never met anyone like her. She's everything I've always dreamed of and never knew I wanted at the same time."

Alice stared at me, her mouth hanging open a little. She slowly lowered her cup of coffee and looked up at me.

"Wow, Edward. That's.... wow. I did _not _expect that. So, who is she? Do I know her? Tell me about her? How long have you been seeing her?"

"Alice! Slow down! Do you even want me to answer, or are you just spewing questions? Damn, woman!"

"Sorry, E. I'm just a little shocked, that's all. I wasn't expecting that to be what you wanted to tell me. Tell me about her. Start with her name."

I fidgeted with my iPhone. I'd been checking Twitter like, every ten seconds just to see of she'd posted anything. I looked down at the screen- and she had.

**_SwanSong87:_**_ Missing someone special. Feels like ages since I held you last. :hugs:_

"Edward?"

"Oh, uh, her name is Bella. Bella Swan, and she's.... beautiful."

"Wow. I.... have nothing else to say. I'm speechless. Where did you meet her?"

"At Masen's school..."

"Wait! Swan. Bella Swan? Isn't that Masen's _teacher?"_

"Yeah, and she tutors him twice a week. We met when I went in for that parent-teacher conference a few weeks back. She and I kinda hit it off right away, I guess, and we've been spending what little time we can together every chance we get."

"So does Masen know about this?"

"No! No one does. Well- now you do, but that's it."

I looked down at the paper napkin I was shredding in my hands. I was surprised by her next line of questioning. I was beginning to feel like I was in front of a fucking firing squad. Hell, that shit might have hurt less than this.

"Is Bella the woman you were accosting against the Porsche the other day?"

I looked Alice right in her beady little troll eyes. I should have known Emmett had run his fucking mouth about that. I wanted to be sure she got this shit straight.

"I was _not _accosting her, and yes, that was Bella. Alice, Bella isn't just some chick. She's.... well, she's really important to me."

"Edward, don't take this the wrong way, but how important can she be? You just met her! Are you two sleeping together?"

"I don't see where that's any of your damn business, Ali, but no, we aren't. At least not now."

"Not_ now_? But you _were_?"

My tone was hard, but low when I answered her.

"_Alice! _You are getting on my last fucking nerve! These ridiculous questions are getting us nowhere. Shut it and listen, I'm only saying this once!"

My sister picked up her coffee and eyed me over the lid as she sipped, probably so she wouldn't be tempted to interrupt. I took a deep breath before I started; partly to calm myself, but mostly so I had enough air to say everything I wanted to in one breath.

"I met Bella in the P/T meeting. I can't explain it, hell, neither of us can, but there was an instant connection. We've been seeing each other ever since. Yes, we have slept together, but we decided to call a sexbargo until we can have a chance to know each other a little better. I can't get her off my mind! I think about her constantly. I worry that she's okay. I wonder what Masen will think when he finds out. I'm scared to death that the bozos who are our family members will scare her off. But most of all... Most of all I'm positive that she'll realize what a fuck up I am and never speak to me again. This woman is special, Alice. From the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew. Something about her sings to me."

I shook my head at the monologue I'd just spewed at the back table of a Starbucks. Alice's voice was soft and tentative when she spoke. Not the usual overly perky, demanding tone she usually had.

"So, you're like, really into her?"

"Yeah."

"But you barely know her."

"That's not true. It's amazing what you can learn about a person when you aren't thinking of ways to get into their pants every second of the day. It's just all very new, that's all. I want to know everything about this woman; spend every minute I can with her. That's why I'm telling you_. Only_ you, Alice."

"Okay, I get it. This is a secret. I can keep a secret. What? I can! Don't raise your bushy eyebrows at me! Just tell me what you need from me."

"Mostly I need you to keep a lid on this, but I need you to help cover for me, hold Emmett at bay- throw him off the trail if he starts sniffing around and getting nosy. Bella and I want to keep this quiet a little longer, and Em doing his impression of a bloodhound won't help. You are literally the only other person who knows about this, and a lot is at stake if we were to let everyone in on this before we're ready. There are Masen's feelings and Bella's job to consider."

"Oh, God. Could Bella lose her job over this?"

"We're not positive. I would imagine so, though."

My iPhone buzzed just then. It was a text from Bella.

_Think we could meet tonight? I miss you... ~B_

I started forming a plan to meet with Bella in my mind. Alice broke my concentration.

"Is that Bella?"

"Yeah, she wants to meet tonight. Alice, do you think you could occasionally cover for me so Bella and I could spend some time together? Maybe watch Masen for me?"

She had that "I'm gonna make you squirm, brother" look in her eyes. It worked; I was squirming.

"You mean starting tonight?"

"Uh, that would be great, if you can...."

"Okay, here's the deal.... I'll do everything I can to help you and Bella out. I've never seen you react to someone this way, Edward. If you need me to watch Mini Me for you, I can do that. If you need me to distract our ape of a brother to keep him from sticking his nose up your ass, then I can do that too. I will not lie for you, though, nor will I watch this go on forever. In other words... you have one month, _ONE_, to come clean to the family and Bella's school. By that I mean that we will have a family dinner where we will all be present, as well as Bella. At some point within that timeframe Bella will have to tell whoever the hell she should tell about this. The longer you two wait, the worse the backlash will be."

"I agree, Ali. It will be worse the longer we wait to tell people. Thanks, sis. I knew you'd understand. I'm a little surprised that you didn't give me a harder time about this, though."

"I'm not a bitch, E, I just like to watch you squirm every now and then;, I _am_ your sister."

"Little sister, in so many ways."

"Alright, watch yourself, prick, or I'll go all 'little sister' on your ass and make you sorry you ever told me this secret of yours."

I held my hands out in front of me. Keeping her at arm's length.

"Oooh! Okay, okay! I get the point!"

"And just keep in mind that you two crazy ass love birds have one month, then I go to the press with this shit."

I agreed to Alice's terms, the whole time wondering if Bella could even tell her school about us. The Troll agreed to have Masen over for a "sleep over" that night, and I went to Bella's for my own sleep over. It was another evening filled with hushed tones and whispered words of our pasts, sweet kisses, and a bit of heavy petting. Hey, a man can only take so much dirty talk before he needs a little release. Besides, we were well within the terms of the sexbargo. I wondered how much longer we would even need to continue our agreement. That was before Bella woke up that night screaming and panting. And not in a good way.

There is no better feeling than having Bella sleeping in my arms, aside from having Bella _naked_ and sleeping in my arms. I found that I slept better with her snuggled against my body, and I was in the middle of an NC-17 rated dream about the woman pressed to me when I was awakened by her crying out as she shot up out of the bed. At first I thought she was just screaming, but then I realized it was someone's name she kept shouting over and over again. Bella was hysterical; over and over she cried, "Reese! Reese!" I had no clue who the fuck Reese was, but she was obviously upset about them. I reached out and pulled her to me. Her head came down to my chest as my hand tangled in her hair.

"Hey, hey! It's okay, love. It's okay. I'm here, Bella. Shhhh, don't cry. It's okay."

With my free had I rubbed soothing circles on her back just like I would when Masen had a nightmare. Bella calmed a little, but she continued to cry in my arms; her tears soaking my bare chest. After a few minutes I tried to get her to talk about the nightmare.

"Hey, B.... talk to me. What did you dream about?"

She whimpered quietly and sniffled. I could feel her working to control her breathing. I tried to get her to talk again.

"Bella, please talk to me?"

Through ragged breaths and sniffles she finally answered me.

"It was a bad dream, that's all."

"That was no bad dream, B. That was a fucking nightmare, and it's not the first one you've had while I was here. Do you have them often, sweetie?"

"What? I've done this before?"

It was true, more than once I'd woken up to Bella crying in her sleep. Never before had she screamed as she had tonight, but she was definitely having these dreams regularly. I just wasn't sure how regularly she had them and what they were about.

"Yeah, you have; this one has to be the worst by far, but you've been having them for a week or so now."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Bella. It's not your fault. Do you want to talk about the dreams?"

She lay silent in my arms, obviously avoiding my question. I decided to take a different approach.

"Tell me about Reese."

It wasn't a question or demand; it was more like a plea.

"I'm not sure that I can, Edward. That's not a part of my life I like to remember. It's too...."

"Too what, Bella? Please tell me."

"Too raw. Too painful. Too...much."

I felt her head move back and forth as she shook it gently. Almost as if she were trying to clear it. It fucking broke my heart that she wouldn't share this part of herself with me. I wouldn't push her, though. We were still very new, and maybe she wasn't comfortable enough to tell me this chapter in her past. I tried to tell myself to not let that bother me. There sure as hell were things that I was holding back from her. My secrets weren't causing night terrors, though. I hoped that she would someday feel safe enough to tell me who Reese was.

"I won't push you to tell me. Just know that I'm here, love, if you ever want to talk about anything. Are you okay? Do you need something?"

"I'm better. I have a bit of a headache. I'll just get some Advil and come back to bed."

She got up and went into the bathroom. A few moments later her tiny, warm frame was next to me again. I felt complete with her snuggled to my side, her head near my heart. My hand slid up and down her back, soothing her to sleep. I relished in the feel of her hair as it fanned out over my arm and chest, how her soft form molded to mine. Being close to her like this made my body respond in ways I couldn't satisfy at this moment. As we lay there I tried to think of what could be the reason for this connection I felt to the beauty in my arms.

Sure she was beautiful, but I had dated beautiful women before. Hell, Jessica was beautiful, but Bella's beauty was natural. She was confident and didn't feel the need to spend hours primping. Jess wasn't in the same fucking league as Bella, but she had been the object of many a college guy's affections. I wasn't a shallow guy, though, so Bella's beauty wasn't the reason. There was something else. Something _more_.

Bella was smart and talented. She blew me away each time she sat behind a piano. The other night she had pulled out her guitar. It was fucking magnificent. She must have noticed me coveting her instrument, because she quickly rattled off its stats as only one musician does to another. It was a Steve Wildey hand hewn original "Big Red," custom made to her specifications. She had named it "Barrett" after the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The name suited it. The blond wood on its face reminded me of Bella's creamy skin tone. The sound hole was surrounded by a beautiful ring of Mother of Pearl. The back and neck were a rare tiger wood, the stripes that marked the wood perfectly aligned at the mid seam. B explained that she had asked Steve to make her one after she'd seen him play at a local music festival and admired his own guitar. After her piano and bike it was her pride possession. She curled up next to me on the couch with the work of art in her hands and began to play. It was a haunting ballad about loving someone when you've refused to love anyone before. It was a Paramore song, _The Only Exception_. Her voice hung in the air like smoke. It was angelic and soothing. I never wanted her to stop singing. Her hands caressed the strings, and her eyes closed as she focused on the cords and lyrics. I had decided that it was my favorite thing to watch her do. Well, my favorite non-sexual thing. But as much as all this talent endeared her to me, this could not be the sole reason I felt such a strong pull to her.

We shared many of the same interests: bikes, football, the Florida Gators, music, and I'd recently found out that she was a staunch supporter of some of the same organizations I happened to belong to as well. No, it wasn't any of these things either. Something drew me to this woman, but I just didn't know _what_ that was.

I drifted off to sleep thinking about all the things I loved about Bella, wondering if it wasn't too soon to be connecting what I felt for Bella with "love." I already called her that, and she liked that I did. She'd sent me a tweet that read:

**_SwanSong87:_**_ I love it when you call me "love", but I love it even more when you scream my name._

That woman was going to be the death of me! Well, that woman and this sexbargo combined. I knew that my feelings for Bella were deep. I just wasn't sure I was quite ready to call them "love." It would take more time before I could fucking do that. More time and her opening up more. I vowed I would find out who this "Reese" was and why Bella was having nightmares about them if it was the last thing I did.

~oOo~

**_A/N:_**_ That's it. That's Ch6. Please review! Bella's back next chapter, and its a doozy! It will post in TEN days! I really love this new schedule!_


	7. Nightmares and Nerves

**_A/N: _**_Dear _**_Riders_**_, (BTW, that is your new nickname from me!) I have a few words for you here and at the end, so please indulge me._

_This is not my usual fluff. In fact I have been informed that it is entirely devoid of fluff. I **am** sorry for that, but it was necessary. After you read this you'll understand why. _

_I need to thank some amazing people. _**_DizzyGrl28_**_, for being the Darth Beta she is. I need you like air, beloved! _**_TwilightMundi_**_ for being the Nazi. Thanks for slicing and dicing, bb! Special thanks to _**_Megsly_**_ and _**_BQOTFU_**_ for encouraging the heartfail, I hope this does justice to the HF community. To _**_AutumnDreamer_**_ and _**_KitKatBlack_**_ for pre-reading. You all helped this chapter be all that it could be! Thanks most of all for putting up with my stupidity! _

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Anything remotely related to Twilight belongs to SMyers. The dream, they typos, the cat fur that seems to be everywhere in my condo- these are the things I own. Yes, I am a very blessed woman. You may envy me now._

**~oOo~**

**CH 7 TRoYL- Nightmares and Nerves**

**BPOV**

_I need a nap. Or a giant White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks. Hell, I vote for the nap first then the coffee. Now if I can just stay awake long enough to get out of here._

It was the longest damn faculty meeting I'd ever attended. Maybe it just felt that way because I was so exhausted, but I could barely keep my eyes open. I was definitely going to need coffee to make it through the night.

_Maybe_, I thought, _if I'm lucky, I'll fall asleep and sleep through the little "get together" I'm _

_supposed to attend tonight._

The teacher meeting that will be forever known as "The Meeting that Lasted Many Moons" finally came to a close. I packed up my stuff and rode home. It was necessary to stop off at Starbucks for the java, and I sat at a small round table sipping the delicious goodness that is like crack to me. My phone buzzed and I looked to see a text from Edward. My face lit up and I could feel my body temperature rise.

_Can't wait for tonight! They're gonna adore you as much as I do! ~E_

My heart sank and my stomached turned. I knew this was part of the deal Edward made with his sister Alice. She had agreed to keep our relationship a secret as long as we worked to bring the entire family into the loop. Tonight was just the first ring of a complicated spiral of people that had to be let in on our little secret. Okay, it was a_ big_ fucking secret, but it was ours. I really wanted our families to know about us, especially mine. My parents would love Edward. I was mostly concerned with what his family would think of me. Not that I had anything to be ashamed of, but meeting your secret boyfriend's family is always nerve wracking. Especially when said boyfriend has a nine-year-old son who happens to be your prized pupil. I had this feeling Masen would be fine with Edward and me seeing each other, but Edward was freaking out about his possible reaction.

I, on the other hand, was particularly nervous about what, if anything, I should say to my school about the two of us. After three weeks of seeing Edward I still didn't have a clear answer on how to handle the school situation. While there wasn't a "rule" against it per say, I was sure that it wouldn't be received with champagne toasts and cheers of congratulations. I hoped that bringing Alice into the loop might help me come up with a plan. But that was before I was told that Jasper, Alice's fiancé, would be joining us as well. I was cool with Alice knowing about us, but this "secret" was beginning to lose some of its "secretness". I mean, isn't the whole point of a secret the fact that nobody knows what the secret is? Or that there's even a secret to begin with? While I didn't fully understand the why of it, Jasper was part of the package now. I was consumed with nerves as the time for us all to meet drew near. Not being able to sleep wasn't helping my nerves.

The dreams, uh-nightmares, were back. I wasn't sure why _now_, after years having hardly any of them, they had returned. Some were just sad, heartbreaking memories of the best friend I had lost, others were terrifying as I relived the accident in horrific detail. It was after these vivid dreams that I would refuse to close my eyes. At first, the nightmares were infrequent- just blips on a radar. Lately, though, I'd been having them several times a week. Try cutting three to four nights of sleep out of _your _week and see how well you function. Needless to say, I was a damn mess; even my students were beginning to comment on how tired I seemed. Edward had been staying over when he could, just so we could spend a little more time together. He had shaken me awake several times, each time holding me until the fear passed and my heart rate slowed. Then in the morning over our coffee he would beg me to tell him what was haunting me. I wanted to, I almost needed to, but I couldn't. It was bad enough that my nights were tainted by the memories, I couldn't relive them in the daylight and survive. At least at night they seemed somewhat surreal, almost like they were only bad dreams instead of the gut wrenching memories they really were. I was so desperate for sleep I considered looking into getting prescription sleeping pills. I decided against it, though. The side effects of those things could be brutal and I hated how they made me feel numb. I was hoping that the dreams would just fade on their own. So far... not so fucking good.

Last night was the worst yet. The dreams had started almost immediately after I fell asleep. I doubt that I had even thirty full minutes of rest. At first I wasn't sure it was a dream, it was so vivid.

_I awoke with a start, but instead of my warm bed beneath me, there was cool, grass-covered ground. Disoriented, I looked around at my surroundings. The sights and sounds came into focus, overwhelming my senses, and the bright lights glared in the darkness to illuminate the night. The air was charged with the excitement of the throngs of people around me. I pushed myself off the ground and stood. My eyes squinted as I realized that I recognized this setting. I felt my heart pounding against my sternum as the sights and sounds of the carnival settled over me, suffocating. The sounds pressed against me like walls; the squeals of children as they ran from one ride to the next, parents calling after them to wait up, the bells and dings of the games and the cheers of the winners. The shrieks of the riders as they enjoyed the thrill of adrenaline were the loudest. Off to the left I saw the Ferris wheel and line of ticket holders eager to board the ride. I had always loved the Ferris wheel; you could see the whole city from up there, and it almost felt like flying. At least to an eight-year-old it did. I scanned the line looking for the two familiar forms I knew I would find there: two young girls. My eight-year-old self stood patiently waiting her turn to ride, holding the hand of her little sister, Reese._

_I tried desperately to call out to them, to stop them from getting on the ride, but the words were choked off before they could escape. The two girls inched forward in line. Although I was hundreds of feet away from them, I could clearly see every detail and hear their conversation as if I were right next to them. The older girl placed her arm lovingly around the shoulder of her sister, urging her along. Reese was so tiny and beautiful. They were dressed similarly: both in jeans and matching lightweight sweaters to ward off the chill in the autumn air. I remembered those sweaters well. They were our favorites._

_Young Bella tried to comfort a nervous Reese, "Don't be afraid, Reese! It's just a Ferris _

_wheel, silly. I've ridden this ride tons of times. I even rode it by myself!" She was very proud that she was finally old enough to do this thing, and so excited that she could share this with her favorite person in the world. _

_"I know, but it's so high, Sissy. I don't like to be that high," Reese's little voice sounded even smaller than usual, and her big sister wrapped her arm around her, and pulled her into her side. _

_"I promise nothing will happen. It's fun! It's almost like you can fly! You can hold my hand the whole time, and just close your eyes if you get scared." _

_Little Reese looked up at the person she loved most in the world after her mommy and daddy. A tentative smile spread slowly across her face, showing off her dimples perfectly. "Okay, Sissy. Just please don't rock the box?" Her eyes shot up at some rowdy boys who were making their bucket seat rock wildly. _

_"Don't worry, Babycakes, I don't like that either. We'll sit very still and look at the lights. It's so pretty lit up at night! You'll love it! I promise!"_

_Reese wasn't convinced, but it was their turn to get on. The boys jumped out of their blue seat, vacating it for the girls. They handed the kind looking, burly man their tickets and climbed up into the seat. Reese whimpered a little when it swung from their shifting weight. I tried to cry out to them again, tried to scream for them to get off, or at least to not choose that seat. But my voice would not cooperate._

_The ride operator locked the bar across their laps and pushed the button for the seat to advance so the next set of riders could board. Start. Stop. Start. Stop. They climbed higher and higher. Reese was a little frightened, but was being brave so that her sissy would be proud of her. She felt like such a big girl sitting up so high, rising up into the sky. Her fear would seep out each time the ride stopped or started, and she'd squeal quietly. She would grasp at her sister's hand each time the seat moved and once, after a very shaky start she threw her arms around the other girl's waist as she buried her face in her sweater._

_"It's okay, Reese, we're safe up here. They wouldn't let us ride if it wasn't safe." She soothed the long brown hair of the scared child. It was the same shade as her own, but Reese's had ribbons of cooper running through it, while hers were blond. "Look out at the pretty lights! We can see the Bridge of Lions and the Cathedral. Oooh! Look, Reese! The lighthouse is so cool!"_

_Reese looked up where her sister pointed, but didn't let go of her stranglehold. "Uh- huh, it's very pretty.... Can we get down now?"_

_"Not yet, they just got everyone on. Now we get to go around a few times. I promise it won't stop again until it's time to get off."_

_They rode it around several times, each time waving to their parents as they rose near the top. On their second time around, as they began their ascent, there was a loud groaning and the girls felt their seat bounce in a way that was different from the other movements. Reese squealed loudly and tightened her grip on her sister. Little Bella spoke soothing words to her sister that she didn't quite believe herself. They tried to relax and reassure each other that they were indeed safe as their seat crested the top of the arc, but as it did they heard a second groan, this one much louder than the first. I desperately wanted to run to them, to warn the stupid carnival goers that a great tragedy was about to take place, or to stand beneath them and try to prevent what I knew was about to unfold. But I was cemented to the ground. My feet could not move, and my vocal chords continued to betray me. My pleas to help the girls were held hostage._

_Without warning there was a loud crack and the blue seat holding the girls dipped precariously to the side. Screams pierced the air and all eyes flew to look up at the two small children clinging to the seat that now swung from only a single set of bolts. Chaos erupted beneath them as carnies ran to clear the area beneath the Ferris wheel. The ride was still turning, causing the seat to swing harder. The ride operator slammed his fist down onto the red button that would bring the ride to a stop. He had no way of knowing that this action would have catastrophic results._

_The world seemed to move in slow motion. The wheel came to a halt, and the seat jerked to the side, slamming into the framework of the Ferris wheel. Another wave of screams ripped through the crowd. The girls clung to the side of the seat, but Reese struggled to hang on. Her grasp was slipping; she cried out to little Bella to help her. There wasn't time for Bella to even try to grab the younger girl. A deafening boom sent my hand flying to cover my ears. Choruses of gasps and "Oh, dear God"s filled my ears, countless bodies blurred in motion as everyone rushed to the direction of the Ferris wheel. Just as the backs of countless onlookers blocked my view, I was seemingly transported to the scene they were all gaping at. I didn't need to see it, I could already picture it with perfect clarity. Yet, the wall of people parted and I saw in front of me the image that was already burned into my mind. My stomach lurched at the thought of what had just happened. I covered my face with my hands to shield my eyes._

_I fell to my knees. Desperately I tried to make myself go to them, but I could not. I was forced to remain a helpless onlooker. There was the blood chilling sound of a mother wailing across from me. Screaming her pleas for her children to be alright, demanding that her husband release his hold on her so that she could go to them. _

_The two girls lay broken and motionless. Their already tiny bodies seemed even more insignificant. The older sister lay unconscious several feet from the other. She had been thrown clear of the weight of the seat before it crashed into the soft sod. Her legs contorted in unnatural angles, one arm crushed beneath her. The other hand extended out to the smaller form of her beloved sister which was only half visible, her lower half buried, crushed by the weight of the metal seat. Everything fell silent in the chaos. The only sound I heard was that of my own heart. Paramedics arrived at the scene, and frantically worked to help the children. The seat was lifted from the fragmented shape beneath it, but it was too late. Reese was gone. _

_A quiet moan escaped from the broken girl only a few feet away as she slowly regained consciousness. The others around her struggled to hear what she was softly crying, but I knew. I knew it better than any sound I'd ever heard or would ever hear again. "Reese? Reese?" She continued to call to her sister. When Reese didn't answer her cries became louder, hysterical, but still only the child's name. "Reese! Reese!"_

_Reese was perfectly still. There was no movement, not even a breath to expand her small chest. There she was, dead before me. I wanted to look away from the heartbreaking scene, but my eyes were locked onto the image of the crushed and battered body before me. My arms ached to cradle her and rock her as I recalled doing when we were both so much smaller. I reached out to brush away the hair that covered her sweet face, but she was just out of arm's reach. One team of paramedics worked to stabilize the survivor. She was severely injured and quickly succumbing to shock. They would learn that she had suffered a shattered pelvis, multiple fractures in her left arm, nine fractures in her right leg and thirteen in the left. The other team of emergency workers moved to shield the broken remains of the beautiful child that lay lifeless only a few feet away on the cold, damp ground. Her mother screamed, inconsolable as the men covered the child's tiny frame with a crisp white sheet. Not only had I just watched, helpless, as this angelic creature died before my eyes, but I had seen it all through the eyes of my eight year old self, who lay crumpled on the ground. The heartache was doubled. I collapsed into myself, silence engulfing me again. My heartbeat thudded in my ears and was joined by the sound of another, smaller heart. It was that of the young girl hysterical for the reassurance that her baby sister was safe. The two hearts beat in rhythm together. Both breaking and cracking into shards. It was then the crying broke through the silence. Loud, keening sobs. It took me waking from this nightmare to realize it was me who was crying._

~oOo~

Life continued at its usual pace, despite the fact that my nightmares had returned and I was getting less sleep. There was no slowing down, and apparently there was no turning back, either, now that Edward had confided in Alice about our relationship. It was actually nice knowing that someone knew about the two of us, but I was a little nervous about what she would think of me. I had always been concerned with being "good enough". My entire life had been a quest for acceptance and approval -- a life long effort to make amends. That's not entirely true; before the accident I was a pretty damn confident child. It wasn't until afterwards that I pined for the acceptance of those around me. In school I was the perfect student, the teacher's pet, but not is the ass kiss kind of way. My friends had said that I could get along with anyone. Renee, my mom, had called me a peace keeper. Music was my passion, and I strived for perfection there especially. Even in those bleak years just after losing Reese I would sit for hours at our upright and work complicated pieces over and over again until they were flawless. Mom would plead with me to "give it a rest", but I would stay at the bench, my fingers moving silently over the keys. What I need more than anything else was the approval of my parents. Their love. Even though I didn't deserve of it, I did everything else in hopes that they would see the daughter who was still here instead of the blinding void the other daughter had left.

Things hadn't always been so damn depressing. We had been really happy once. Arizona was a great place to grow up. Near constant sunshine, open spaces, happy family. But that was before. Before I.... Even after all those years had passed, I still struggled with all the pain and hurt I'd caused. Hell, even my parents couldn't bear it. For years and years I'd hoped that the aching that I saw in my parents' eyes would fall away and they would see the little girl who needed them. After the accident they tried to continue on as if nothing had changed, but nothing was the same. We all knew that things would never be the same. Before there were endless hugs and kisses, tender words, family game nights, trips to the Fall fair when we visited the grandparents in Florida.... For the longest time hugs weren't possible. My little body had been so broken. It took thirteen surgeries over a span two years to help my bones knit back together as best as they could just so I could walk again. But no surgery could knit our family back together. We were irrevocably shattered. Mom withdrew into herself, and when she wasn't working she was sleeping. In an effort to not disturb her, Dad spent more and more time away from home. The hugs stopped, tender words were replaced by terse and hushed accusations. Any time we had spent together as a family unit dissolved. There would come a time when I thought that I'd imagined that perfect family picture. Worse still, I'd imagine that I'd imagined _her. _Only the sobs that wafted from my mother's room each night testified to the loss we had all suffered. When Reese died we all died in some way. Our perfect family was buried with the beautiful child whose funeral I was too battered to attend. Mom and Dad divorced not long after my last surgery. Looking back now, I can't believe they lasted two years. Dad went back to his childhood home in Forks, Washington. Mom and I packed up and headed for Florida. Mom's parents had retired there. Mom said she couldn't stand live in our house any longer and that she needed their help raising "a kid like me." She never clarified what she meant by that, but I had a good idea. Those two years with Mom and Dad together were unbearable. It was almost a relief when they came to me to tell me that they were divorcing.

My guilt over the accident and all that resulted from it was monumental. There were shrinks, doctors, priests, teachers, grandparents who all tried to help me release the crushing sense of responsibility I felt: the depression, the intense mourning, the aching loss. It was when I moved to Forks and started high school that I was sent back to the psychiatrist. For the most part I had been able to deal with the pain, but my freshmen year everything seemed to start welling up to the surface again. The shrink had told Renee that I suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, that I had never dealt with the demons from the accident. She was right, but I had done a pretty damn good job of holding them at bay. I did that the only way I could think to; I lived the life my little sister would never have the opportunity to live. The opportunity that I had taken from her when I convinced her to do something she really hadn't wanted to do at all. Every time I sat down behind a piano I played like it was my last. Each time I took a test I stared at the page knowing I had done everything in my power to get the best grade possible, because this was knowledge Reese would never learn. So when I started high school, one more thing that Reese would never do, it seemed to trigger the nightmares of my childhood. The doc had prescribed a mild sedative to help me sleep, but I didn't like the way they made me feel in the morning. My saving grace in high school had been my girlfriends. That first year I met some of the most amazing people. It was their love, silly giggles, makeover laden sleepovers, countless movie marathons, and a multitude of all around normal teenage girl experiences that got me through that time. I would forever be grateful to Kat and Bri for holding me while I cried and finally mourned the loss of the one person I wanted to be able to experience those things with. Even though they had no idea the truth behind my tears. No one fully knew. It was my burden alone.

Music was a salve on the raw skin of my soul. It was when I played that I felt closest to her. It was "our thing" and it was bitter sweet. That connection between us is what had led me to teaching. I have crystal clear memories of Reese and me "playing school" and her always wanting to be the teacher. Of course I was happy to play the role of the student. I would have done anything to see her smile. The combination of teaching and music was the perfect one for me, and another connection to Reese. While I bitched about meetings, mountains of papers to grade, and lesson plans, it was where I wanted to be. At first my teaching had everything to do with my sister and my life's work of trying to fix the mess I had made out of all of our lives. I'd been told too many times how Reese's death wasn't my fault. There were times when I thought I would literally fucking explode if I was told that again. I wasn't stupid. In fact I was actually considered somewhat of a child genius: thanks to a higher than "normal" IQ and that I'd been dubbed a child prodigy when it came to music. God how I hated those labels. All I had ever wanted was to be known as a daughter and sister. Those were the only two labels that mattered to me. Thanks to choices I made I had lost both. Hell, I knew that I hadn't purposefully killed the one person who had loved me with abandon, but that didn't change the part I _had_ played in the fact that Theresa Maria Swan's life had been cut short after only five brief years.

Now my life was entering a new phase, one where I was once again living the life she never would. Maybe that was why the nightmares were back. They seemed to return when the winds of change blew through, and boy were they a blowin'! I was falling in love. At least I was pretty fucking sure that I was. How the hell could I know for sure? It had only been a matter of weeks, and I had never been "in love" before. Sure I'd cared for guys before, but things were different with Edward. I was different with Edward. I had this feeling that my life wouldn't be the same. Not after what I had been feeling lately. Especially now that Edward was in my life. And especially after I met Alice. I was in for quite a ride myself.

**~oOo~**

**_A/N:_**_ Sorry, guys. I'm churning out CH8 as quickly as possible, and the fluff will be flowing! CH9 is already written, but Emo Liz will be back then. Just warning ya._

_Thanks for _**_RIDING_**_ and reviewing. ;) _


	8. Insults and Injuries

_**A/N: **__Eternal love and thanks to the Darth Beta, __**Dizzygrl28**__, I love you and I ADORE my Boward you stuffed in my RL box. He made my year! Muah! And thanks to my Nazi, __**TwilightMundi.**__ How did I get lucky enough to have you __**AND**__ Dizz? Your insight and patience with me is humbling. I cannot properly express how much you have both changed me. All my love!_

_Song list for this chapter: "Toxic" by Britney Spears, "True Love Way" by Kings of Leon, "Need" by Hana Pestle, "Fire" by Jay Sean_

_Can we all just agree that I own nothing that has to do with Twilight? It physically hurts to be reminded of that each and every chapter. I just wanna cry.... ;)_

~oOo~

Ch8- Insults and Injuries

EPOV

"Eclipse Choppers..... Alice speaking...."

I heard my twin's high pitched, cheery voice carry down from the office through the open door.

"Why, yes, he does.... Yes. May I ask who's calling?" Suddenly her tone changed. Gone were the perky niceties, in their place were short, terse barks. "Oh. Okay. Let me page him and see if he's available."

Alice, AKA Miss Congeniality on speed, is usually nice to everyone, obnoxiously so. So when I heard her sing-song, high octave voice do a one-eighty in mid sentence, I had a feeling that something or someone very unpleasant was on the other end of that phone. Then when she got up from her desk and descended the stairs to the garage floor rather than page whoever she was looking for, I knew it was so. She made a beeline for straight for me. My first thoughts were ones of panic.

_Was something wrong with Masen? Had something happened to Bella? _

I tried to keep my irrational fears under control as Alice stopped in front of me. For someone as squatty as she was she looked about seven feet tall at that moment.

"Edward. There is a call for you in the office."

"Okay, Alice.... Who is it?" I rose up from the bike I had been squatting next to. Wiping my hands on the towel that was conveniently tucked into the waist band of my jeans, I followed her up to the office.

She answered me without turning to look back at me, "The Wicked Bitch of the East."

_Ooooh. Shit. Jessica._

Now I perfectly understood her icy tone. My ex-wife had a way of bringing out the worst in people. It was a gift. I really didn't want to take this call. In fact I could think of a million other uncomfortable things I'd rather do then pick up that handset and press the hold button.

Lay naked on a fire ant hill, after being dipped in honey. Have tooth picks shoved under my fingernails. Wear a dress and heels to the garage. Listen to Hanson's "Mmmm, Bop" on repeat for twenty-four hours straight. All of these equally painful and terrifying, but even if you combined the lot of them, this demented brand of torture would be a walk in the park compared to ten minutes on the phone with Jessica Stanley. Seriously, I would not wish that fate on my most hated enemy.

"Well, are you going to answer the phone or just glare at it? You're ex-bitch is tying up one of our lines. Either answer it or hang up, but do something!"

"Geeze, Alice. Why are you twisting my balls about this? I didn't ask her to call."

"It's not you, E, I just can't stand that woman."

"Really? I would have never been able to tell." The phone let out a little cry, reminding us that it was still in the vice grip of my ex.

"Shut it. Do you want some privacy or could you use the backup?"

"I'm perfectly capable of handling Jessica. Stay or go, it's your call."

"I have to run these mock ups down to Jazz, but I'll be right back. Don't say anything especially demeaning until I'm back to hear it, okay?"

I reached for the phone, pulling in a deep cleansing breath as I did, "Sure thing, sis. I'd hate for you to miss out on all the fun."

_Think Band-Aid. Get this over quick, just like you'd rip off a Band-Aid. Sure, it'll hurt like hell for a second, but it'll be a fuck lot better than doing it slowly._

My little pep talk must have helped, 'cause my voice was the picture of serenity when I finally spoke.

"Hello, Edward Cullen.... How may I help you?"

"Edward? Oh mah gawd! It has been _ages_ since I talked to you last! How have you been?"

"Yes, this is Edward. Who am I speaking with, please?" I didn't want to go all "Fucker of the Year" on the wrong person and accidentally say grossly inappropriately rude things to some poor unsuspecting customer. But after hearing the "voice that sank a thousand ships," I was pretty damn sure that this was indeed my ex-bitch, er- wife. Besides, I was stalling so that Alice could get back in time for a front row seat to the smack down that was about to happen up in here.

"It's me, Eddie! It's Jess! Your Jessie!" Man, I had forgotten how horrible her voice truly was, and having it buried so deep in my ear only made it worse. My voice was flat and toneless when I answered her. I wasn't even touching the "your" shit. Nuh-uh.

"Jessica. What are doing calling here?"

"Well. That's no way to greet the mother of your only child."

I swallowed down the bile that rose up in my throat at her mention of my son. Yeah, _my _son. She was just the egg donor and the incubator as it were. She was best at this: throwing the one and only noteworthy thing she had ever done in her completely self absorbed life up in my face. I detested that I owed to her the one thing that mattered most to me in this world.

Wait, that may have been true a few weeks ago, but not so since Bella had come into my life. Masen _and_ Bella were my world now. I need them both.

"What is it that you want, Jessica?" I made no effort to hide the disgust in my voice.

"Really, Edward. It's been two years since we spoke last, and this is how you're going to act? I guess I'll never understand you."

"Exactly, Jessica. Two years. You haven't called, written, emailed, or even sent as much as a fucking carrier pigeon. How the hell did you_ think _I would react to a call from you?"

"Dammit, Edward! You don't have to be like this! I just wanted to see how you were doing. I haven't contacted you because, well, because I knew that you'd react exactly this way. You can be such a prick when you want to be!"

"Do I really have to remind you that you are the one who called me. Just cut the shit, Jess, and tell me what you want. You never could play the role of martyr very fucking well."

"Fuck you, too, Edward. I was calling to ask how my son was doing in that new hoity-toity school he's been in. Plus I had a few things that I wanted to talk to you about, but I can't talk to you when you're like this. You're so irrational sometimes."

_Her_ son? _HER SON! _ Masen ceased being her son the day she walked out and never looked back. As far as I was concerned, she had no claim to him. The Department of

Children and Families felt the same way I did. Especially after she had terminated all parental rights to Masen. I was dying to scream all this at her through the phone, but my sister chose that moment to enter the office. Alice's touch on my shoulder reminded me of who and where I was. She walked over to the other desk and silently picked up another handset to listen in to the conversation. My voice was calm and smooth when I answered her.

"Jessica, you're right. I'm not helping move this conversation along. You called about Masen? He's well. Very well. He is excelling in his magnet school, and his teacher says he's one of the singularly most talented kids she's ever seen. He's also getting private lessons from her. It's amazing how much he's improved just in the last few weeks. He really is an exceptional child."

My nostrils flared and my eyes bulged as I fought back the deep need within me to shred the woman on the other end of the phone. Alice shot me a look that clearly said, "Rip her a new one, but do it with a smile." So I did.

"That's more like it, Edward. See, you can carry on a civilized conversation without behaving like a psychopath."

"Of course I can, when there's someone fucking worthy of it, but for you, I'll pretend."

As usual, she was clueless to the subtleties of sarcasm. The woman never did get my sense of humor. Or anyone's sense of humor, for that matter.

"I'd thought you would've learned how to play nice at this stage of your life."

"And which stage would that be, exactly, Jessica? You know what, never mind. The shop is really busy and I need to get back to the bike I'm working on, so if I've satisfied your curiosity about _my_ son's wellbeing, then I'll be saying goodbye."

"Wait! Edward! Don't hang up yet! I was also calling to give you some good news...."

"What? That you're moving to Siberia?"

"Not nice, Edward."

"Not gonna apologize. The heart wants what the heart wants."

"Are you going to let me tell you my exciting news?"

"Why the hell not? I haven't got anything_ better_ to do than stand here and listen to the sound of your voice. I always did like the way nails sounded on chalkboard."

"Asshole."

"Just spill it, Jessica. I've already wasted more of my life than I should have on you. I've got shit to do. Tell me the great fucking news so I can act like I care and get back to my life."

"Fine. I'm moving to St. Auggie. At the beginning of the new year."

I was stunned. _Good news?_ She considered this good news? St. Augustine was fucking _tiny_! There was no way in hell I was going to....

"Edward? Are you still there? Did you hear me? I said I'm moving to St. Aug-."

"I heard you. I'm just praying that I heard you incorrectly or that this is a really vivid nightmare."

My head was shaking back and forth, trying to clear itself like an Etch-a-Sketch of the horrible news that my ex-bitch was moving to the same small town where I lived. Could this day get anymore fucked up?

"Well, it's true, and no, you're not dreaming."

"I said nightmare. If this were a dream you'd be moving to Siberia like I'd hoped." Jessica continued with her fan-fucking-tastic news as I just stared blankly at Alice. She, in turn, was staring back at me. Her mouth hung open in disbelief, the shock shining out of her saucer wide eyes like the high beams on a Mac truck. If my displeasure over this situation wasn't evident, then Jessica was ignoring it or she was dumber than I thought. And for years I'd been convinced that she had an I.Q. lower than a rotting log.

"Everything is already settled. I'll come down right before Christmas so I can spend the holidays with you and Masen, and find a house to rent or buy while I'm there. Then I'll come back here to finish packing and move at the first of the year. Exciting, huh?"

Make that an I.Q. lower than a rotting log buried under a pile of manure.

I rushed her off the phone, cringing when she promised to call and let me know when she'd be in town. Was this really happening? Was my ex-bitch coming to spend Christmas with me and the son she'd abandoned as an infant? How Norman Rockwell of her. And the best news of all was that she was coming for good! Yippee!

_Fuck. How am I gonna explain this to Masen? Does he even want to see her? I mean, she is his mother. Granted, a mother who has never been a part of his life, but his mother all the same. Could I keep her away from him? Should I?_

My head was swimming with a hundred questions. I had none of the answers for them. I turned to see my twin's gaze boring through me. We were both in shock.

I let Alice know with a look that I didn't want to talk right at that moment.

"Fine, but we _will_ discuss what just went down. This affects all of us, Edward. Especially you and Masen, but all of us are going to feel the pain of Jessica's moving here. It's something that needs to be discussed, that's all. I'm here if you need me."

I didn't answer her; I didn't need to. I knew what she was getting at, and she knew that I needed the space to process the situation. So I headed down to the garage floor to start putting shit together with my hands and doing the same in my head. I'd just squatted down in front of the bike when I heard a wolf whistle behind me. I didn't even bother to look around to see who it was. I just ignored the fucktard that was my brother.

"Hey, hot-stuff! How many squat thrusts do you have to do a day to get an ass like that?"

I really wasn't in the mood, and if he pushed me I was likely to push my fist into his face. Really fucking hard. I decided to continue to ignore him and focus on the bike. Emmett had other ideas, though, and continued to make ridiculous comments. When I didn't even look up at him he walked around me and stood on the other side of the bike I was crouched in front of. It was then that he got a clue. Finally.

"Hey, Edward? What's up with you? You okay, man? 'Cause you sure don't seem like it. Talk to me."

"No thanks, Dr. Phil. I'd rather just do my fucking job and get the hell out of here, okay man?"

There was no trace of our usual lighthearted banter. He knew I meant business. He backed away, his hands up in front in surrender.

"Oh. Gotcha. I'll just do my own work and leave you to your PMSing. Let me know when you're not such a chick and you find your dick, okay? Hey! I'm a poet and I didn't even fucking know it!"

"Yeah, Em, you're a regular Emily DICKinson."

He left me alone after that, and I went to work on the bike. As my mind settled into the monotony of the work my hands were doing it, cleared and calmed. I could feel my body responding to the peace in my head. My heart rate slowed, the tension in my shoulders dissipated, and my head stopped pounding. The familiar sounds of the garage faded into the background, and I had tunnel vision; focused only on what my hands were doing in that moment. As I worked, my mind drifted to the one thing that it went to most often these days: Bella. Once again my heartbeat sped up, but for a different reason all together. My body responded in other ways as well. The real estate in my already crowded jeans became even more scarce, and I had to stand to shift the residents around to better accommodate them. Jasper chose that moment to walk around the corner. He must have had a heaping bowl of Emmett's "Captain Butt-munch" this morning for breakfast, because he started in on me exactly like Em would. Did. Does.

"Whoa, E! Watch where you point that thing, you could put someone's eye out!"

"Shut it, Spunky Brewster. I'm NOT in the mood. Unless you want to be eating the floor of the garage I'd suggest you keep on moving in whatever direction you were headed in."

Jazz wasn't fazed by my moodiness. He came right back at me, his southern drawl more prominent than usual.

"Oh, really? Spunky Brewster? That's a new one. You been watchin' Nick at Nite again, Mr. Ed? That's a horse sized hard on you're sportin' there. You need to head on down to the tracks and visit your filly?"

"Fuck. You. Jasper. And you'd better fuck off or I'll have you licking the floor of the garage clean for the night crew."

About that time I saw my sister's spiky troll doll head pop up over the desk in the office. She knew what was coming.

"I'd like to see you try, stallion. But I have a feeling that big ole situation you have going on right now might impede your ability to wrassle me to the ground."

That did it. I snapped. I'm not a violent person. I mean, I can defend myself, but my first reaction isn't to beat the shit out of someone, least of all someone who's like a brother to me. Someone who _will_ be a brother to me in a few short months. But I was stretched so thin. My mind just snapped. Before I knew what I was doing I lunged at Jazz and we both went flying through the air, narrowly missing a bike that was propped near a lift. We slid across the floor from the force of our fall. Jasper's head made contact with the metal frame of the large garage door.

"Cut it out, fuckers! You almost took out a bike!" Emmett's voice wasn't normally the voice of reason, but at the moment it was both that _and_ the loudest in the shop. That still didn't stop the impromptu round of "My dick's bigger than yours". We jostled for top position, flipping back and forth, trying to pin each other to the cool concrete. At one point I had Jasper flipped on his stomach, and I held his arms behind his back with one of my own. His face was pressed against the floor at a very uncomfortable angle, my knee in his back- it took all of my weight to keep him in the hold. Jazz fought to shift our positions, but I had a point to make, and I'd be damned if I was gonna end up under him.

"I SAID cut it OUT, mother fuckers!" Emmett loomed over us a socket wrench in one hand, the other balled up in a tight fist that meant business. "Don't make me end this for you, 'cause I can assure you that my dick is bigger than either of yours, and I ain't afraid to whip it out and show you tiny peckers, either."

We both lay there panting as we looked up at him. Arms askew, legs entwined as we worked to catch our breath. That's when Masen chose to walk through the door. He looked across to Jasper and me crumpled on the floor, his face scrunched up in confusion.

"What's going on, Dad?"

Jazz and I worked to untangle ourselves and I popped up first. I brushed my hands off on my jeans and offered my hand to my soon-to-be brother. He took it, and with a firm tug I hefted him to his feet. Jazz walked over to the boy he had always thought of as a nephew.

"Aw, nothin' Tex! Your dad and I were just wrasselin' a bit. Of course, I won!" He grabbed the boy in a gentle headlock and gave him a noogie. Mini-Me wiggled free and socked his attacker in the arm.

"Cut it out, Uncle J. Sometimes I wonder if the 'j' stands for 'jerk'! Hey, Dad. Don't forget that we leave early tonight. I have my lesson with Ms. B at her place."

"Right, buddy. I didn't forget. I have a few things I need to tie up around here and then we'll be off. Starting with your Uncle Jazz!" I launched myself at my target, the mock attack threw him off balance and I pinned him to the ground. "Ha! Who's the winner now, butt-munch?" Jazz easily shoved me off of him and stood up to his full height. Masen seemed to take Jazz's explanations at face value, because he didn't mention the scene he'd walked in on again. He grabbed his backpack off the floor and bounded up the stairs into the hug his doting aunt had waiting for him.

The rest of the afternoon passed in relative peace. Jazz and Em backed off, but there was some noise about "paying the piper later," whatever the fuck that meant. As much as I tried to lose myself in the work I was doing, I couldn't escape the sense of dread that something big and hairy was about to blow into town. On a broom. I had no idea what I supposed to tell Masen about Jess moving here. Two years was a long time for a kid, and the memory of a six year old isn't what you'd think it would be. Sure, he remembered his mother, but even when he'd seen her the last time she was here, she'd insisted that he call her Jess. Not "Mom." It irked me to no end, but not for the reasons you might think. I was, hell, I still am baffled at how a mother could walk away from her only child as if he were a bag of opened potato chips and never look back. I guess that's not entirely true. Every few years she'd pop up. She would poof into our lives with her puff of toxic green smoke, wreak havoc and then poof back out again. The after effects left all who came in contact with her reeling and hacking from the noxious fumes that seemed to follow her.

It hadn't been so bad the first few times she deigned to grace us with her presence. Regardless of her decision to distance herself from Masen, we all knew that he needed a mother and there was a part in each of us, no matter how small, that held out hope that Jess would step up to the plate and be Mini's mom. She never did. The worst part was that even when she came around she insisted on holding him at arm's length. He knew that Jessica was his mother, but that didn't hold any meaning for him. Alice and Rose were more mother figures to him than Jess had ever been. Their love was what he based his understanding of motherly love on. He seemed cool with the arrangement, but what do you expect when it's all the kid has ever known and he has no idea that it should be so fucking different. That was before he had gone to school and witnessed what a mother and child look like first hand.

Masen was about five or six when he started asking where his mom was. We had always been honest with him. It was still fucking hard to say to the person you cherish most, that the one person who should be the single most important in his universe didn't want that role. I remember Masen looking at me with his giant, clear blue eyes that were exact replicas of his mother's, and saying to me, "Jessica is my mommy? Then why doesn't she live with us?" I didn't have an answer that a six year old could understand. I knew that at some point we would have to deal with this issue, hell, we'd be dealing with this the rest of his life. But I did know that he needed the care of a mother. The kind of maternal nurturing that only a woman can give.

It was for that reason that our extended family lived so close. Em and Ro, Jazz and Alice all lived in the same condo complex as Masen and I did. Jazz and Alice were just across the hall, the other two were in the next building over. Mom and Dad lived literally five minutes north of us, in the huge house Em, Alice, and I had grown up in. Mom never could part with the house she'd raised her "babies" in, or some shit like that. So she and Dad still lived in the house that was way too big for just the two of them. Masen had three "moms" at his beck and call, more home cooked meals than any kid could eat, kisses and hugs galore, and advice to spare. Hell, the kid should open up an advice stand like the kids in Charlie Brown did. He'd make a killing off all that extra advice he'd gotten from them in his nine short years of life.

Now, with Jess moving here, everything was bound to change in our family. The entire dynamics were shifting, I could feel it. No one had ever liked her; she brought out the worst in everyone around her. She wasn't even here yet and she was affecting me! Jazz and I never fought, yet one little verbal spar had led to us playing "King of the Mountain" on the floor of the Eclipse Garage. I needed to blow off some steam, and quick. Jess being here, temporarily or permanently, was going to put a strain on us all. We'd lived through this once when Jess and I were married. That had not been pretty, and now Jess was coming back. To stay. Would she want more than before? From Masen that is. We all knew she wanted more from me. She never missed an opportunity to tell me how much she "missed" me. And that shit creeped me out every fucking time.

Why would Jessica be moving to St. Augustine of all places, if not to be more involved in Masen's life? She sure as hell hadn't told me what her reasons were for relocating away from her family and near mine, who hated her. Unabashedly. One thing was certain, Masen was old enough to decide whether or not he wanted Jess in his life. I'd support whatever he wanted, but a shallow, petty part of me hoped that he'd tell her to "fuck off" like he'd told Spewton's kid. Naw, I knew that would piss Bella off. But Bella hadn't met my ex-bitch. I had a feeling that B would give Masen a "get out of jail free" card for this little slip of the F-word, especially after she'd spent five minutes in a room with the woman.

Oh, no. Bella. What would Bella think about my ex moving here and worming her way into our lives? I hoped she wouldn't think that this was just too much baggage or too complicated and walk away. I'd understand if she did. We didn't owe each other anything. Two weeks was nothing, and she was free to walk whenever she needed to. But oh, please god, I prayed that she wouldn't feel like she needed to. Her presence in our lives had been changing us, making both Masen and me different. The changes were only positive. I hoped she'd think we were worth the trouble that would surely follow Jessica Stanley into town.

~oOo~

That night Masen and I drove to Bella's for his lesson. We'd had a good evening at home. Masen's homework was finished, I'd made us flank steak and potatoes on the grill, and I was even able to squeeze a few minutes in on the piano as well. He didn't seem to notice that I hadn't actually eaten very much as he scarfed his food down. I'd eat when Bella and I went to dinner later with Alice and Jazz. Mini would be spending the evening with his Aunt Rosie and Uncle Asshat, er- Emmett. They had some game/trivia night planned while I had a "business" meeting at the "garage" later. Rose would stay at our condo and keep an eye on him, since I'd be home late. Waaaayyyyy late. Hopefully. As Masen did the dishes and straightened up the kitchen I sat down at the keys of my highly glossed piano. I relished the feel of the ivory under my fingers as I dragged my hand down the length of the keys, imagining them being the curve of Bella's side and hip as I did. The notes poured from my fingers as I played a few bars of the "project" that I'd been working on the last week or so. Actually, ever since I'd met Bella. The sound of the instrument calmed and grounded me, much like the woman I was thinking about did.

"You play a lot more now, Dad. I like to hear you."

"I've always played, MM."

"Sure, but you play more now. Before you'd play to show me something, or because somebody asked you to. Now you just play 'cause you want to. Even if there's no one to hear it. I heard you the other day when I was coming back from the pool. I like it when you play, Dad. You're really kinda good, you know."

"Oh, kinda good, huh? Well, I'll just remind you that I taught you everything you know, smart aleck."

"Not true! Ms. B has taught me lots too. This last week had some really mean pieces and now I know them good 'cause she taught me them."

"Well- the proper English would be: 'I know them well,' and did Bella teach you that grammar? That entire response was riddled with crimes against the English language. Maybe she should be working on your Language Art Skills as well as your Performing Art Skills...."

"Oh, Dad. You're soooo funny. So funny I forgot to laugh."

We left not long after that for B's. I was still worrying about telling Masen about Jess' big announcement. I figured the less time he had to worry about what was going on in the grown up world, the better. He didn't need to concern himself with the logistics of his quote-unquote mother right this minute. Just as we settled into the short ride to Bella's, I felt my iPhone vibrate, alerting me to the fact that I had an email. It would have to wait until we had stopped.

Masen hopped off the bike as soon as it rolled to a stop in her drive. His pack slung across his chest, he looked like a little man climbing the steps to the front door two at a time. I strapped his helmet into its spot and joined him at the door. We looked like two kids peering through the widow of a candy shop as we waited for the woman we adored to open the door to us.

We visited for a minute while my son, the ass kisser, walked her dog. It was nice to have a few minutes alone with her; the first in several days. After Masen returned he and B got to work and I left to run a few errands. I ended up back at home to get myself organized for the night. I opted against flowers, mostly because I would never bring flowers to a business meeting, and to have any would set off my all too observant son. Also because that's not the sort of gesture Bella would have appreciated. Oh, my girl loved getting flowers, don't get me wrong, but she'd have been much more impressed if I'd shown up with a fist full of original sheet music to play for her. Seeing as my little "project" was not yet completed, I decided to go with nada, and just show up. My car seemed to have a somewhat calming effect on her, at least I think she was calm. She wasn't saying very much.

I knew that she'd been a nervous wreck about meeting Alice and Jazz, but I wasn't too worried because I also knew that would all go away once they met. Those two could get along with rabid dogs. Soon we were off to dinner with my sister and soon to be BIL (brother-in-law). I'd started calling him "Bill" when he would let the inner troll in Alice boss him around. He didn't like the new nickname much, and threatened to "pound my head in" each and every time I called him "Bill," which turned out to be often. (Alice can be quite the bossy troll when the mood strikes.) Bella smoothed the material of her dress over her thighs as she sat next to me. There was this odd feeling wafting off her, charging the air, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was exactly.

"You okay, hon? You seem kinda antsy...."

"What? Oh, I'm fine, Edward. Just a little nervous, that's all. I hope they like me. This is a big thing- meeting your family. Well, some of your family."

"You have nothing to be worried about. Alice is a pistol, but she's great! And Jazz? His bark is worse than his bite. Just be yourself and they'll love you. Besides, I'll be right next to you, my arm around you or holding your hand. Whatever you need, baby, I'm here with you."

"I think I could do just about anything as long as you were there with me. Especially dressed like that. You clean up very nicely, Mr. Cullen."

I reached across the console and stroked her cheek, and clasped her hand in mine.

"I think you could do just about anything, regardless."

"Yeah, well... you're kinda biased."

To confirm her point, I brought her hand to my face and pressed a worshipful kiss to her hand. It was becoming more and more difficult to imagine my life without her in it. A day with Bella was a good day indeed.

By the time the night rolled to an end Alice and Bella were on their way to becoming friends. Except that apparently there was a minor squabble during one of the pilgrimages to the ladies' room about which Boy Bad was better: *NSYNC or Backstreet Boys. Whoever the fuck they were. Bella was all about the *NSYNC and Alice was most assuredly a "BSB girl"? Both agreed to disagree but not before promising to have an "old skool dance off" sometime in the near future to determine who would be crowned the "Kings of Boy Bad Land." There was no fucking way I was going to miss that shit.

When I dropped B off that night I walked her to her door, it was obvious that this would not be the night that the ban on the smexin' would end. Dammit. I still had a lot of steam to blow off. I made a mental note to wake up a little early and go for an extra long run in the morning. Then come back for some "me" time in the shower. There had to be a way out of this arrangement, or at least a way around it. It might not be so bad if I had a time frame, a date that I could mark off on my calendar: "Nookie Granted." I'd have to talk with Bella about that. I'd happily cross out days 'til I could be with Bella again. The thought had my pants uncomfortably tight, and not for the first time that night. To be honest I'd been "uncomfortable" from the moment Bella walked into sight as my son and I waited at her door.

_Note to self: Spend quality time in shower TONIGHT, and maybe tomorrow, too._

Yeah, that talk with Bella had to be soon. Very soon.

~oOo~

_**A/N: **__A quick shout out to my Muse, the Magical Mellies (AKA __**tellingmelies**__) She's truly my fanfic soulmate and muse. Just when I think I have nothing in me she says just the right thing to inspire and get my creative juices flowing. I lub you, Mellies!_


	9. Dates and Debates

_**A/N: **__Another one down. Here's the big double date- I hope Bella likes Alice as much as I do!! I have another playlist for this chapter as well as some pictures to help you visualize what I saw as I wrote this. All of these will be over on the Forever, Liz blog. _**http:// Forever-Lizff . blogspot . com**_ (Delete the spaces) _

_A very special thank you to my two beautiful betas __**DizzyGrl28 **__and __**TwilightMundi. **__I've developed a very healthy attachment to you two. Both my__** Darth Beta and Grammar Guru **__get mad props for editing this particular hawt mess of a chapter!_

_I'd like to pimp my Muse, __**Tellingmelies**__. She is currently writing No Place Like Home and it speaks for itself. Amazing writing and split your side funny. That you, bb for helping my words flow. I love you._

_**Playlist:**__ Overlap by Amni DiFranco, Need by Hana Pestle, Sexy Chick by David Guetta, Dirty Pop by N Sync, Larger Than Life by Backstreet Boys, Here We Go by N Sync, Everybody by Backstreet Boys, Tonight by New Kids on the Block_

_You can go to __**http:// www . playlist . com/ playlist/ 19053869067**__ (delete the spaces) to listen online while you read. High-tech, I know! _

_**Disclaimer:**__ SMeyer had the dream that birthed the sparkly vamps who in most part inspired these characters, so she owns the characters and all Twilight related stuff. I, DO own this story, however crapy it may be. Please don't call it your own, cuz then you'd be even MORE lame than I am. And that's REALLY lame. _

**Ch9 TRoYL- Dates and Debates**

**BPOV**

~oOo~

I opened the door to Edward and Masen when they arrived for Masen's Thursday lesson. The lessons had become routine by now, but no less anticipated. Mr. Darcy was as ecstatic as ever to see Masen, and as usual, Edward was less than enthusiastic about seeing Darcy. The little clone and my beloved mutt ran out to the porch and around the corner, out of view. Over the last few weeks Edward had grown more relaxed around my big lug of a dog. He said his main problem with Mr. D was the way the animal chose to greet him each time he saw him: muzzle to crotch. When I'd teased him about being afraid of losing his jewels, he reacted exactly the way I thought he would. Defensively.

"How would you like it if every time you saw someone they stuck their nose in your crotch?"

So help me, I know it was evil but I couldn't help but answer him with, "Well, if it were your nose doing the nuzzling of my nether regions, then I'd have no arguments whatsoever." To which he responded with a noise that sounded a hell of a lot like a growl as he pressed me against my piano and warned me in a raspy voice that unless I wanted the sexbargo to end right that instant, then I had better cease and desist. Just as he was moving away from me, we heard Masen's sweet voice as he and Darcy bounded into the room.

"Hey, Miss Swan! I'm ready for our lesson."

"I knew you would be, little man, and I told you that you could call me Miss Bella or Miss B when it's just us. How about you let me get set up and then we can start."

"Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting, Miss B. Hey, can I take Darcy out for a few minutes before the lesson?"

"Sure, you know where his leash is hanging up, right?"

"Sure do!"

"Well then, go for it, and don't let him push you around out there!"

"Aw, he's a good boy for me. Aren't 'cha, big guy?"

"How about I call you when I'm ready?"

"Sounds great. Come on, Darce!"

Masen took off with Darcy right on his heels. Both looked so happy as they ran out the door. I felt Edward's arms as they circled my waist from behind. As I leaned back, I felt my body melting into his chest and I was overcome with so many feelings: safety, peace, the rightness of this moment. He turned me to face him. The softest whisper of a kiss brushed over my lips. In that one, brief gesture, I felt the most wonderful feeling of all; I felt treasured. No words passed between us, just the rhythmic rise and fall of our chests as we stood looking out the window. Rather than analyze the moment to death, I decided to just revel in it. And breathe. With my head tucked beneath his chin, our arms linked around each other, I filled my lungs with the smell of him. He was a mixture of aftershave, cologne, laundry detergent, engine oil, and that musky man scent. It was a heady concoction that had me wanting to trade shirts with him so I could keep the smell of Edward with me after he left. I pressed a kiss to his chest, taking one last deep breath of him in before pulling back.

"I gotta get ready for Masen's lesson. Besides, we'd have a hell of a time explaining this if the little man decided to come back in early."

"He's a pretty smart kid. I think he'd get the picture easily, and I'm not ready to let go of you just yet. Make out with me."

"What?"

"You heard me, make out with me."

I snickered at the man before me.

"Yes, I_ did_ hear you, but of all the ways you could have phrased that...."

"Would you have preferred me to say, 'Suck face with me, Bella' or 'Swap spit'?"

"Way to kill the moment, Edward." I gently pushed away from him, the moment squashed by his crass, juvenile joke. I actually thought it was pretty funny, but I wanted to play with him for a bit; make him work for his make out session. He fell for it, because he tightened his grip on me and started back peddling.

"No, baby! I was kidding! I'm really sorry.... I know, it was gross, but I didn't think you were the 'delicate flower' type. I didn't mean to offend you. I was just being an ass. I _am _an ass. Forgive me?"

"You're right, you _are_ an ass, but you're _my_ ass," to emphasize my point I reached behind him and grabbed the body part we were discussing, giving it a tight squeeze.

"Now, shut the hell up and put that tongue to better use!"

It only took a second for him to catch up, then it was me trying to catch my breath.

All too soon the "making out" came to an end, and it was Edward who had to break it off.

"I thought you had to get ready for a music lesson, Ms. Swan."

"Yeah, I do, but you have to promise me that we can pick up where we left off ASAP."

"I can't wait. Go get ready."

I stretched up to kiss him once more, reminding him of his promise and what was to come. My hand brushed teasingly across his chest as I walked away. Edward grasped it gently and kissed the palm. I barely heard his quiet words as I walked away.

"I promise."

~oOo~

Edward had left to run some errands. Our date was later that night and he said he needed to get some things taken care of beforehand. Masen sat at my piano, his feet dangling several inches from the floor. I'd just finished showing M the new piece that he needed to work on for Tuesday's lesson when I noticed he had an odd look on his face. After months of working with this kid I knew that look well.

"Hey, M? What's up? Do you have any questions about the assignment? I'm happy to go over it with you again."

I loved how his little legs swung back and forth as he considered what he wanted to say.

"Well, I was wondering if... if you would teach me a song that _you_ really like? You know, like, maybe your favorite piece?"

"Uhhh, I don't know, Mason...."

"I mean, you don't have to. I just thought it would be fun to play something that you liked, that's all."

"No, that's really sweet, M. I just need to think about it for a second and pick one. I have so many favorites"

"Okay...."

The little man sat patiently while I flipped through a mental list of songs I enjoyed playing. It didn't take me long to think of the song I wanted to teach him. It had been rolling around in my head for weeks now, and one I was playing a lot recently since the dreams had started back up. I just wasn't sure if I_ could_ share it with him. The melody was perfect for him to learn, and the modern composition would expand his range nicely. I'd first heard it in college a few years back. Hana Pestle's voice was so haunting and clear that it had grabbed my attention from the moment I'd heard it. The lyrics spoke to me, as if they had been written _for _me. I knew this was a song that would be with me forever. I wasn't sure why I was choosing to share this song with the child who sat bone still beside me as I considered my choice. I rarely played it in the daytime. But maybe if I played it _now_ I would sleep_ tonight_.

"Alright Masen, this is a piece that means a lot to me. It reminds me of someone very special to me. Someone who isn't in my life anymore. It's called 'Need,' and it's a modern piece. I'll teach you the melody, then we can play it together and I'll pick out a harmony and sing the lyrics for you, okay?"

"Okay, show me how it goes."

I played the song all the way through a few times for M. He caught it quickly, joining in near the end of the song the second time through. We paused as both of our hands hovered over the keys, preparing to play together.

I could clearly remember going straight home and finding the song on the Internet and then downloading the sheet music. One time. That's all it took for me to learn the song. It was like it was carved into the very marrow of my bones. Recently, whenever I'd wake up panting in the blackness, I'd creep down the stairs. I wouldn't bother with the lights. The moonlight seeping in through the windows was all the light I needed to find the way to my therapy. My piano.

I'd sink to the bench and my palms would smooth over the lid of the keyboard; a kind of greeting almost. Without fail, Darcy would be lying at my feet, keeping me company in my despair. The shaking in my hands would calm as soon as I lifted the cover. It was as if they knew what was coming, that this would quiet the unrest within me, meet the need that ate at me.

The first notes were like deep breaths drawn in by suffocating lungs. They were cool, soothing. Life bearing. I pictured the little girl who had once been my life as I played the melody and sang the words that brought me out of myself and back to the present.

_I'm not quite sure how to breathe without you here _

_I'm not quite sure if I'm ready to say goodbye to all we were _

_Be with me, stay with me _

_Just for now _

_Let the time decide when I won't need you _

I could recall those weeks of days and nights, lying in the cold hospital and praying that it had all been a nightmare. That I'd wake up and she would still be there. It was in that sterile room that I began dreaming of the black obscurity and pleading with Reese to stay and fight.

_My hand searches for your hand in a dark room. _

_I can't find you. _

_Help me! _

_Are you looking for me? _

As I sang the words I could see the bleak darkness that surrounded me in my dreams. It was thick, like sludge, and I had to struggle to find my way through it. I knew she was in there with me. She was always with me. I had never stopped reaching for her, crying out to her just as I had the night of the accident. And each time I had the dream I would reach out again, desperate to connect with her but never making it.

_Can't I feel any more _

_Light in me, I'm fading _

_I can't drop you! _

_Tell me I don't need you _

Night after night, endless darkness. Groping, searching. Knowing that if I could just find her in there that she would come back to us. Then we would all be alright again. Maybe then Mom and Dad could finally forgive me. Maybe they would finally see that all I wanted, all I had ever wanted, was to know that I was enough. Even with Reese gone, that I was worthy of their love. Every night I looked for her in the dark, and each night I'd awake with a start, knowing that I had failed all over again. She was not there next to me as she had always been.

_Etch this into my brain for me. _

_Tell me how it's supposed to be, _

_Where everything will go _

_and how I'll be without you by my side_

After all these years, all the shrinks, and all the searching, I'd yet to find a way to move on. I could not let her go. If I did, then it was like I was admitting that I had a life and she didn't. A life of promise that I had taken. Reese had been a part of every moment of my life, always a part of what I was experiencing. I needed her there. It was the only way I could alleviate the pressure that would settle on my chest, pressing on my lungs until they burned. Guilt.

_My hand searches for your hand in a dark room _

_I can't find you _

_Help me _

_Are you looking for me _

So I searched. My entire life I had searched for a solution in my dreams. Desperate for a way to merge the past and the present. As the final notes played out their lifespan, I would picture my sweet sister, not as she was, but how I imagined she would look now. Tall, with cropped chestnut hair that reflected the sun's rays in deep copper colors, her endless brown eyes. She stood taller than I did, and she was stunning. Her outstretched arm just out of my reach.

When the song was finished, I took a deep breath. I inhaled the peace that came with my brand of therapy. My eyes closed, just enjoying a moment of calm. I flinched at the touch of a small hand over mine which rested on the edge of the keyboard. I smiled as I looked over at the angel of a boy sitting next to me.

"That's a beautiful song, Miss B. I'm sorry that it makes you so sad."

"Oh, no, Masen. It doesn't make me sad. It actually helps me feel better."

"Who was it? That you lost, I mean."

"Her name is Reese. She died when I was very young and I miss her very much. That song helps me through the sad moments. Do you have a song that helps you through sad or difficult moments?"

"Yeah, I do. 'You Are My Sunshine.' Dad used to sing it to me. He doesn't anymore, though. I like to play it when I'm upset or mad."

"I love that song, M. Will you play it for me now?"

The boy lit up like the dawn at my request. He played the simple notes beautifully and with so much feeling. It was evident that he had played it frequently. Masen, usually so mature beyond his years, for once looked like the nine year old vulnerable little boy that he was. I patted his shoulder as the last notes hung in the air.

We wrapped up the lesson just as my phone buzzed. Edward had texted to tell me that he was leaving the grocery store and that he'd be a few minutes late picking up M. If it'd been any other student I would've probably been a little annoyed, but not with this one. And it wasn't because he was Edward's kid. This pint sized version of his father was a joy in every way. I welcomed any time I got to spend with him.

I told Mini E that his dad was on the way to get him. Then, I had an idea.

"Hey, buddy? You like video games?"

"Well, duh, Miss. B! Of course I do! You got any?"

"What? What did you say? 'You got any?' What kinda sentence is that? That was terrible grammar! Who's your teacher, kid? She should be fired!"

"Nah! She's the best teacher in the world!"

"Really? Well, she needs to work on your grammar come tomorrow, but to answer your horribly phrased question, yes, I do have games. Lots of them. Let's head to the game room to check them out."

Masen and I settled into a highly competitive game of Rock Band. He on the guitar, me on the drums. We were rocking out hard when Edward poked his head in the door to see what we were up to.

"Wow, I had no idea he'd be getting a guitar lesson out of this, too! Your methods are unconventional, but I think they rock!"

Masen didn't even turn to look at him.

"Shut it, Dad. Me and Ms. B are in a battle of the bands! I need to focus here!"

I gently corrected his grammar once again.

"Ms. B and I, Masen."

"Sorry."

Masen and I were the victors in the battle of the bands. We were invincible. Edward was genuinely impressed by my mad XBox skilz and said that he called me to be on his team if we ever played against Emmett. I told him that would be only way I'd play. I was strictly a Team Edward girl, all the way.

After they left, I spent the next hour and a half getting ready for our dinner with Alice and Jasper. I tried a number of things to keep my nerves to a minimum, but the bottle of wine I opened seemed to work the best. That, and Michael Buble's new album blaring through the house. I glanced at the clock on the kitchen stove for what was probably the hundredth time in the last ten minutes and decided my wine glass needed another refill. This one had to last me longer than the last two, though, or Edward was going to have to pour me into the car to get me to the restaurant. The last thing I wanted was for my significant other's twin sister to think I was a lush on our first meeting. After that mental image, I decided to opt for a strong cup of coffee. Decaf. I didn't need to add caffeine to the alcohol. Man, this night couldn't be over soon enough.

~oOo~

Not long after I finished my coffee, Edward was back on my doorstep, and for the first time I was actually less than happy to see him standing on the other side of the glass. Looking edible in dark pants and charcoal grey pinstriped dress shirt, I had to force myself to open the door. I let him in and instantly found myself in his arms. He looked down at me with a cheeky grin then kissed me. It was one of those kisses you never want to end: long, deep, all consuming. The kind of kiss you prayed would lead to something more. Unfortunately, he broke our embrace for the second time that day.

_Damn this sexbargo! Whose shitty idea was this again? Oh, yeah. Mine. Stupid fucking idea, Bella. _

"You ready, hon? We're supposed to meet Jazz and Alice at eight."

"As ready as I'll ever be. Let's get this over with...."

I collected my clutch and wrap. We were headed downtown, to the historic district, and one of my favorite restaurants: The Columbia. Edward chose it because he said if I had to be miserable at least I could be miserable and eat good food. I could only hope that I'd be able to eat anything; my stomach was doing back handsprings.

"You look amazing, Bella. It's a good thing we have a moratorium on the smexin' because I doubt we'd be making our reservation otherwise. It wouldn't fucking matter who was waiting to meet us for dinner. That dress is _hot_!"

"Well, Mr. Cullen, I'm so glad you approve."

I did a little spin so he could get the full effect. I'd chosen one of my best loved dresses. It was a 40's inspired wiggle dress with a tiny all over plaid that hugged all the right places. And it was comfortable as hell to boot. My long curls were pinned up loosely at the nape of my neck to show off the beautiful neckline of the dress.

He swore under his breath and led me out to his ride. Knowing Edward, his little outburst was due to the view of my ass that his vantage point afforded him. Now, I knew he wouldn't be bringing his bike, but I was surprised by what sat in my drive. It was sex. Pure, unadulterated sex. A black BMW M6 convertible with tan leather interior. It was beautiful and everything about it reminded me of Edward. Just like the man helping me into the sex mobile, this car was sexy. I found my mind drifting to the things that we could do in its tiny backseat or on its hood. I pictured me straddling him in the front seat with my skirt bunched up around my waist. I silently gave thanks for the Lycra in the dress. My fantasies came to a screeching halt as the word "sexbargo" echoed in my head. I really was regretting that whole fucking brilliant idea of mine. Mentally, I began calculating how much longer I thought we'd have to continue with the "no nookie" game plan.

I was vaguely aware of the door shutting after I'd slid onto the buttery smooth seats. My hand caressed the leather on either side of my legs, imagining what it would feel like against my bare skin. My thighs rubbed against each other at the mental picture of Edward below me and the extracurricular activities that could take place in his sex-on-wheels. I was aware that my breathing had picked up as well. Each breath kept time with the movement of my thighs. Apparently, both were under the impression we were all running a marathon.

"Baby? Everything okay? Bella?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, Edward. Just nervous I guess."

"Don't be nervous. There's nothing to be nervous about." He placed his hand on my leg, just above my knee. The material there stretched tight and thin across my thighs so that I could feel the heat radiating from his hand. "They're gonna adore you just as much as I do."

Edward leaned across the console. His lips pressed to my cheek and then my neck. I gasped at the contact, but also because it was at the moment that I realized, with great disappointment, that no matter how I calculated the time remaining on the No Sex Act, it would not be overturned tonight.

_Yeah, Bella. Some fucking genius you turned out to be._

~oOo~

All in all, the night turned out way better than I could have hoped. Dinner was delicious. Alice and Jasper were wonderful. Edward was, well... distracting. He had his hand on my thigh during the entire meal. It never left its post, like it was guarding the muscles that lay beneath it. Unless of course it was placed on the small of my back. We walked that way into the restaurant, him guiding me through the waiting patrons, and as the hostess showed us to our table, that hand of his slid down over the curve of my ass. It stayed there until we reached our seats and I required that part of my anatomy to sit. The man was evil.

I adored Alice from the moment I met her. I had little doubt that I'd get along just fine with Edward's twin. Jasper had that mellow, southern gentleman thing going for him, and his presence had a calming effect on me. Edward had said earlier that Jazz could keep his cool if a bomb was strapped to his chest and was about to detonate. I could totally see that. I doubted that there was very much in life that would set him off; a personality trait that would come in very handy with Alice as a spouse and Edward as a brother-in-law.

I was beginning to wonder what I would find when I met the rest of the Cullen clan. The idea both warmed and scared the hell out of me. Then there was the minor detail that if I met Edward's family, then he'd need to meet mine. An involuntary shiver ran down my spine. I could only imagine what Edward would think of my hippie mother and sports obsessed step-father. I wasn't even going to consider how the meeting with my dad and his wife would go. I had no worries about Sue, she was the most normal of us all; but that really wasn't saying much, considering who I was comparing her to.

I couldn't remember when I had laughed so hard or enjoyed myself so much before. My girlfriends and I always had a great time when we got together, but these two people were strangers to me and we still had a great time. Alice had a way of making you feel like you'd known each other forever. Edward was right; she was sickeningly optimistic and a tad troll-like. Although, I might compare her more to a leprechaun. Except that _she _was the pot of gold. I could see the two of us spending a lot of time together. Especially after we both discovered that we had gone through a rather intense boy band stage. That little factoid about myself wasn't knowledge that I let just anyone in on. It was a heavily guarded secret known only by a select few that I had, _and may or may not still have_, a bit of a boy band obsession. I still can't believe that I'd admitted this to complete strangers and my poor boyfriend. The conversation had started out innocently enough. We'd been talking about the different types of music we were each into. It seemed like we all had very similarly aligned tastes: eclectic.

I liked all kinds of music, as did Edward. Life was too damn short and the world was filled with way too much amazing music to limit yourself to one style or genre. Alice apparently felt the same way, and her ever agreeable fiancé was just like her and nodded his blond head in agreement whenever a new band was mentioned. No music snobs here.

This led to us talking about the last concert we'd each been to. The guys had just seen U2 in October- twice! Turns out, it was a pretty fucking awesome concert. They were a bit shocked to know that I'd flown out to Vegas to see it myself, and I completely agreed that it was every bit as incredible as they thought it was. The guys had seen it first in Atlanta and were so impressed that they drove down to Tampa two days later to see it again. And I thought _I_ was bad flying to Vegas! But, Charlie had flown in from Washington to see it with me. We were hardcore U2 fans, and it was beyond anything we imagined. The boys had only glowing things to say about Muse who had opened at both of their shows. You would've thought that they had some kind of weird ass bromance going on with the guys in Muse as much as they went on and on about them. I couldn't comment on that part of the show, though; The Black Eyed Peas had opened for us in Vegas. But I had plans to see Muse in February when they came to Tampa. They were impressed that I'd gone all the way to LV to see a show, and there was talk that maybe we'd all try to see Muse together. Alice mentioned something about boy bands under her breath, so quietly that I almost missed it.

"What was that Alice? Did I just hear you say what I think I heard you say?"

"What do you think I said?"

"I think that you said something about boy bands, but I know that can't be right. What does Muse have to do with boy bands, and if you did just mention the boy band, then I may have to leave your brother and switch teams, 'cause I think I might love you..."

Alice's laugh tinkled through the restaurant. Yep this woman was gold.

"Bella, I have a feeling that, judging by the way Edward is glaring at you right now, you'd 'switch teams' over his cold, dead body."

"Maybe so, but that can be arranged.... So what's this about Muse and boy bands? Are you a groupie?"

"Um, well, I don't know what to say to that, but the way Jazz and E were fawning all over Muse just now reminded me how my girlfriends would fawn all over boy bands."

Alice seemed genuinely hesitant to discuss the musical genius that is an all male singing group. Shit, I was practically on the edge of my seat waiting to see if we shared this unhealthy, shameful obsession. She fiddled with the white cloth napkin that had been resting in her lap. She looked up at Edward, and the tentative look that had been there flashed to one of frustration and then resignation.

"Fine! I'm kinda a closet boy band fan-"

"Closet?" I was surprised by the tandem response from the two men at our table. Apparently, Alice had at least one foot out of the boy band fan club closet, 'cause both her twin and her lover were very aware of her "interest" in the bands of the boys.

"Shut it, pricks. Okay, not so much closet as low profile."

Snickers and "_Yeah, riiiight's!_"s erupted from the table and I got the distinct feeling that we were on shaky ground.

"I SAID shut it! I haven't been to a concert of theirs since March of '08!"

"Yeah, and you haven't been to any other concert since, either! Some crap about not wanting to ruin the best concert of all time by seeing anything that might sully its memory."

Edward sounded like a seven year old as he teased his sister mercilessly. It did something to me to see him interact with these people who knew him so well and vice versa. This had me wanting more, and I wondered, for the first time, if all this secrecy was really necessary. My thoughts were distracted by the display of "sibling love" that erupted at the table.

"Edward, you and your hairy palm can go fuck yourself. How would you like me to tell our Bella about your disgusting fascination with Danity Kane and The Pussycat Dolls?"

_Wow._ I guessed that my man's interest in the female equivalent of the boy band was close to legendary status when _his_ best friend piped in.

"Well, it used to be Destiny's Child, so at least they've gotten a little older...." Jazz's betrayal of Edward's secret was rewarded with an obscene gesture of the fowl nature.

"I thought we were talking about boy bands, not 'sex on a stick.' Tell us more about your last concert experience, Alice." Edward's voice held a hint of desperation to change the subject. I made a mental note to discuss this with him more when we were alone. It could lead to some very telling insight into this man sitting beside me. My man. "I, for one, know that I'm just dying to hear about the Backstreet Boys' last concert for the millionth time."

_What?_ I was shocked when it clicked and I put two and two together, realizing that Alice and I'd been at the same place at the same time.

"Wait- you went to the BSB concert in '08? Atlanta? I went to that one too!"

She nodded confirmation. Alice and I erupted into quiet squeals and bouncing as we scooted our chairs closer so we could better talk. We were like thirteen year old girls crushing over cute boys, except with the occasional expletive tossed in. We were lost in our own little world of rainbows, unicorns and all things BSB; completely oblivious to the real life fuckhawt men sitting beside us. After a few minutes, we excused ourselves to use the ladies' room. We could hear our men commiserating over the monsters they'd unleashed. I linked my arm through Alice's as we walked to the bathroom and she snuggled in close. If I didn't like Edward as much as I did I might have seriously considered batting for the other team. I hoped this was the beginning of a long and beautiful friendship.

We chattered about our favorite parts of the concert, and I was even more surprised that we sat just a few rows apart and liked most of the same parts of the concert. Everything was going great until I asked her if she'd ever seen *N SYNC live. I'd been to every fucking tour they'd been on, sometimes to several different cities for the same tour. They always put on an amazing show that any boy band groupie worth their weight in fan paraphernalia wouldn't dare miss.

"Oh, Bella! I wouldn't waste my money on something as trivial as an 'Nsync concert. Life's too short to listen to subpar music." My mouth fell open at her words. How could anyone think that *N SYNC was subpar _anything_? And I had a doctorate in Musical Studies, dammit! I think I _might_ know a thing or two about music.

"You think *N SYNC is beneath BSB? Say it ain't so, Alice! Say it ain't so!"

"Sorry, beautiful, but I speaketh the truth."

"No. You speaketh the crazy! BSB is in no way above *N SYNC. They put BSB to shame in every way possible!" Thus began the downward decline of our conversation which kept us holed up in the ladies room for fifteen minutes. We actually sat on the comfy couches that graced the elegant ladies' room, sitting side by side and turned to face each other.

"Puh-leese! BSB kicks 'Nsync's ass. I can almost hear the asterisk at the front of their name when you say it, Bella. It's kinda cute, in an annoying sort of way. Very 'Nsync fangirl-ish of you." My new friend winked at me and gave me a good natured elbow nudge to assure me that she was teasing me.

"Whatever, Alice. Give me _one_ way that BSB is better than *N SYNC."

"Pft! Just _one_? Well, I guess it's best that way. Otherwise we'd be here all night with the laundry list I have."

"Shut it. Name one."

"Okay, we'll start with their fashion sense - I'll admit that both fell victim to some of the less desirable 90's trends, but BSB much less so then 'Nsync. Don't roll your eyes at me, Bella. Velvet jeans and mesh shirts? That should be enough ammunition for me to win the battle right there. When was the last time you saw a member of 'Nsync in an Armani suit? And Justin Timberlake doesn't count!"

"Oh, whatever. I know for a fact that A.J. had a thang for the mesh shirt, too. Don't act all pompous and sanctimonious when it comes to boy band fashion. They _all_ wore what they were told to put on. End of that argument. Besides, this isn't about boy _designers_, they're boy _bands_, and everyone knows that *N SYNC out sung and out wrote BSB. If I had to listen to even one more BSB heartsick ballad in the 90's I was gonna intentionally shatter my eardrums by shoving sharpened No.2 pencils deep into my ear canals. At least *N SYNC had a little variety, and something you could actually dance to. The only tempo BSB ever sang to was 'comatose,' and to make it worse, it was all retarded drivel. *N SYNC wins where it counts, pipsqueak; the proof is in their body of work." I was feeling fucking proud of the way I'd defended my boys until Alice piped in with a very convincing argument.

"Bella Swan, Backstreet Boys have sold over 100 million copies of their albums and have had 3 albums on the Billboard 'Top 50 Albums of All Time' list while _'Nstync_ hasn't even had ONE album make it on the list."

"Oh, whatever, Alice. Its *N _SYNC_ all the way, biotch. They're the shit."

"BSB are more popular, so Backstreet Boys are much better. I'm putting my money on the BSB!"

Not wanting to end our friendship before it even had a chance in Hell to start, I decided to take the high road and agree to disagree. Surprisingly, Alice was game to do so as well, and we left the ladies' room laughing and giggling, arm in arm, just as we had gone in.

I was again surprised when Alice stopped a waiter on the way back to the table. That little imp batted those ridiculously thick lashes at him and trilled, "May I ask you a question?" He looked the two of us - arm in arm - up and down, no doubt letting his imagination run wild with all the possibly lewd questions she might ask him. She motioned between the two of us and chimed, "If you had to choose one over the other.... would it be Backstreet Boys or 'Nsync?" His shock and then disappointment showed instantly on his face. His answer was more like a question, "Uhhhh, Backstreet Boys?"

Alice squealed her _thank you's_ and _I-told-you-so's_ as she dragged me back to our men. "Now it's two to one. BSB wins." I was mildly shocked that my new friend had just manipulated the libido of a strange waiter to win a debate over boy bands. "This is _not_ over! That was not fair, you little troll, and you know it!"

"What isn't fair?" Edward stood to help me into my seat, placing a kiss on my neck as he asked me with a little more concern than necessary. Jasper was busy helping Alice into her own chair. I wondered to myself if she didn't maybe need a booster seat.

"Your manipulative little ankle-biter of a sister just manipulated a waiter to get him to side with her on a discussion we were having! Can you believe that?"

The men at our table exchanged knowing glances, "She used 'The Eyes', didn't she?"

It was all beginning to make sense. Alice was fully aware of her inhuman powers of persuasion, and she apparently wasn't above using them for evil, and not good. When I confirmed their suspicions, Jasper did the same for mine, "Yeah, we know all about that. We call it 'Dazzling' when she does it. She can get just about anyone to do just about anything with that look. How do you think she got me?"

"Yes, Jazz I dazzled you. That being said, and considering who you hope to be spending the night next to, which would you choose- 'Nsync or BSB?"

"Definitely BSB, darlin'. No two ways about it, and I ain't just sayin' that either, Bella. Sorry, but I've seen both in concert and I preferred BSB over 'Nsync."

"I understand, Jazz. You're a horny son-of-a-gun, and you're hoping to score some tonight. I get it, really I do. Edward? Who's your vote for?"

"I'm in the same boat as Jazz, so I say 'Nsync."

I leaned over to place a congratulatory kiss on his lips. "Good choice, sweetie. But you're still not getting lucky tonight."

"What? Why not? I said 'N Sync! I said 'N Sync!"

I mouthed the word "Sexbargo" to him where Alice and Jazz couldn't see. Alice was going on about how it didn't matter what Edward's vote was because with the waiters "vote", BSB was in the lead three to two. She was also kind enough to point out that we were out of people to poll, therefore BSB were the winners of the Battle of the Boy Bands. Edward seemed intent on arguing to topic. I wasn't sure if he actually felt that strongly about *NSYNC or if he was trying to change my mind about his getting lucky. That didn't help my own faltering resolve over the "No nookie" nonsense. That had to be nipped in the fucking bud ASAP. The sooner the better. It was becoming ever more clear that the plan to abstain had done what it was intended to. It was time to explore other options.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I hadn't realized that Edward had fished out his iPhone and was calling someone. I was about to ask who or what was so damned important that he needed to call them at the table.

"Hey, man. What? No, Jazz, Alice, and I are still at that meeting. We'll be a while yet; we have a few topics to iron out still. Hey, I need you answer a question for me. Don't think, just answer. And don't ask any questions either. I'll explain it all later. Just answer one way or the other, okay? Okay. Backstreet Boys or 'N Sync?"

We could all hear the thunderous laughter that rolled from Edward's phone. Hell, I think the entire restaurant heard it. I assumed that was the voice of his brother on the phone. I was right. Edward had called his brother to get his "vote". My heart swelled with pride that the little Pixie Stick sitting next to me hadn't been the only Cullen twin who had inherited the "conniving gene." No matter what Emmett's vote was, just the fact that my man had tried to even the score earned him a million bonus points. Emmett could still be heard roaring into the phone.

"Shut the fuck up, Em, and just answer the question, you dumb ass."

"Lemme get this straight. You call me, and ask in a completely random fashion, 'BSB or 'N Sync,' and I'm NOT supposed to laugh my fucking brains out? That's even better than the actual question, Eddie Boy!"

"Answer. Now."

"Fine, you need to loosen up dude. Sounds like you need to get laid. Well, I was more of a New Kids on the Block fan, but if I have to choose between those two I'd say- 'N Sync. 'N Sync is my final answer, Regis. And you had _best_ be prepared to explain how all this fuckery has anything to do with the little 'business meeting' you three are at tonig-"

"Edward! Did you just hang up on your brother?"

"Yeah, Bella, I did. Believe me, you'll, a) thank me for it later, and b) do it yourself at some point."

Alice huffed on her seat, "Well, that did us no good, we're back to a tie!"

"Can't you two just kiss and make up?" Edward's suggestion made me feel like a scolded child. So I acted like one. I picked up the argument where it had left off in the ladies' room.

"Alice, BSD _may_ have held the record for most albums sold in a day or week, but when *NSYNC released their album, they smashed those records!"

"Well, Backstreet Boys have put out more than double the number of albums that 'N Sync has!"

"And *N SYNC was way more marketable that Backstreet! They had gobs of fucking merchandise for sale like board games, Game Boy games, dolls, hats, watches, hit clips, phones, to name a few. While BSB had a few similar items, *N SYNC had a hella lot more_ and_ they were promoted by corporations like McDonald's. All BSB were ever promoted by was Burger King, and it's pretty clear McDonald's is more successful than Burger King! _Annnnd,_ *N SYNC did a fuckton of commercials: one for Chili's, some beer brand, an anti-drug campaign, and more!"

"_Enough_, ladies!" Jasper's quiet but firm voice broke through our pathetic boy bands argument. "It would seem that we are at an impasse."

"Really, Jazz? An _impasse_? Please."

"Shut it, baby. We need to get the fuck out of here before you two start chucking bread plates and tuning over tables. This conversation can be resumed at a later time."

"Exactly," Edward agreed with him, "Let's get outta here. Besides, I seriously doubt you two are going to fucking settle this shit tonight."

Alice and I agreed with our men, but I'd been burned by the tiny raven pin cushion once already. I wasn't about to let her think she and Edward were the only ones with mad ambushing skilz. As we walked out the doors of The Columbia, I turned to Alice and her love and said in the calmest voice I could muster, "You know, there really is only _one_ way to resolve a dispute of these epic proportions...."

"Oh, really? Pray tell what that might be, Bellissima."

"Why, an epic dance off, of course!"

Alice's heavenly laugh swelled behind Edward and me as we all filed out into the night.

"Why, my dear Prima Bellerina, I do believe you have the perfect solution to our predicament. We'll need to discuss the how's and when's, but I think that would be a very civil and fitting end to our 'Great Boy Band Debate'! Edward, have I told you that I love this woman of yours?"

"You may have mentioned it, Alice." Edward was grinning like a tard.

"Well, I do. I fucking love her."

I recognized a temporary peace treaty when I saw one, so I decided to accept.

"Dearest Alice, I feel the same way about you."

Jazz, always the voice of reason, piped in, "Alright, you two, break it up! No making out in the historic district! You'll end up in the pokey for indecent conduct, and then Edward and I will have to break your hot asses out of jail. We'll all end up modern versions of Bonnie and Clyde."

"Whatever!" I shot back at Jazz. "I guess that would make you Bonnie in this scenario, 'cause Clyde was a foot shorter than his woman. Just stop being such a whiney ass and kiss your woman." With that I took my own advice, stopped in mid stride, and planted one on Edward. It took a throat loudly clearing to break us up. Sure, I already loved this shrimp, but if she was going to make a habit of slowing my roll, I was gonna have to teach her a thing or two. Good thing I was an educator.

The four of us walked and talked for another hour. Edward's hand resumed its resting place on my ass as we walked down St. George Street and looked in the shop windows. He made some snarky remarks as we passed a lingerie shop, and started pointing out things he'd "like to take off me slowly." With his teeth. He was really playing dirty tonight! The Castillo de San Marcos was beautifully lit against the night sky. The black night was perforated by the stars, and the moon reflected in the water of Matanzas Bay. When we made our way back to the cars I was genuinely sad to say goodnight. Standing there, saying our goodbyes, I was struck that in those few short hours I had gained not only an ally, but a friend. Alice caught me up in her pocket-sized frame and hugged my fiercely. She assured me that our secret was safe with her. Promises were made to see each other again soon, and maybe even for a girl's night. And then there was the little matter of the Old Skool Dance Off Alice and I had challenged one another to. I could see disaster spelled all over that shit, even though it had been my idea to being with. I had a feeling I'd regret that suggestion later.

Conversation was limited in the car during our ten minute drive back to my house. By confiding in Alice and Jasper we had bought ourselves more time together, and now we had people who supported us. My hand draped across his thigh as he drove and Edward rubbed delicious circles on my bare neck. I was so content that I almost fell asleep on the way home. As much as I wanted Edward to stay, he had to get home to Masen, and I needed rest. I was pretty sure that it would have been another sleepless night, but not because of nightmares. With all the flirting and petting that had gone on that night, the sexbargo would have been in serious jeopardy had he stayed. Surprisingly, I slept better that night than I had in weeks. Maybe it was due to my piano therapy with Masen earlier in the day, or the newly forged friendships. Maybe it was just being content with life as it was. Whatever the reason, that night, I slept like a baby.

~oOo~

_**A/N:**__ Well, what did you think? Are you 'N Sync or BSB, or *gasp* neither. _

_Things are about to really move along on this Ride, so be ready for a bit of a jump in Ch 10. _

_A quick note: Some wonderful ladies in the fandom and I have started a podcast. We call it the 7Stories Podcast (there's seven of us) we have a blog, Twitter, Face Book page and we broadcasted our first episode this month. Head on over to_ **http:// 7Storiesff . blogspot . com** _(delete the spaces) and give it a listen. Then drop us a line about what you thought about it. __**It is a mature broadcast, you can't listen to it out loud at work, or listen to it if you're not old enough to buy porn.**__ In fact you had BEST not be reading__** my **__shit if you aren't old enough to by porn, cuz then I'll be MAD._

_To all of you old enough to be reading this, thank you for reading and big squishy hugs for your fabulous reviews. I love each of them._


	10. Bending and Breaking

**A/N: **I've started adding dates at the top of the chapters so everyone can keep up. We were having some confussion as to when the story was taking place. This chapter makes a big jump, the doubble date in the last chapter took place in September and we're now in Novemeber. Have no fear! I assure you that Edward and Bella will fill you in on everything that's been going on! I hope you enjoy this chappie, I enjoyed writing it!

The usual thanks goes out to the usual suspects! Mostly to my beautiful betas: _**DizzyGrl28**_ and _**TwilightMundi**_ for making my words fit to be read. Thank you seems so inadequite. 3

Special thanks to my Musey, _**Tellingmelies**_! You inspire me when nothing else can. This cha[ter would not be without you.

**Playlist:** _Fire_ by Jay Sen _(not on playlist but amazing song)_, _Insatiable_ by Darren Hayes, _Kiss Me Again_ by Jesica Mayfield, _Naked As We Came_ by Iron and Wine

**(Listen online at http:// www . playlist . com/ playlist/ 19187019531)(remove the spaces!)**

**I don't own Twilight or anything related to the Twilight Saga, including the characters. This is my storyline, however. No copyright infrignment is intended.**

**~oOo~**

**Bending and Breaking**

**EPOV**

_November, 2009_

Two months. We'd been seeing each other for two months. Originally, Alice had placed a one month restriction on keeping the "secret", but after meeting Bella and getting to know her, she relented and extended the allotted time -, her new deadline being before Thanksgiving. She said she wanted Bella at our family dinner table for the traditional meal. I had to admit, the image of B sitting on one side of me and Masen on the other was very appealing. It wasn't difficult to agree to the new date, and believe it or not, we'd managed to keep us a secret that long. It was becoming more and more difficult to do, though. My brother, who I had always relegated to the "Not the sharpest tool in the shed" crew, had turned out to be a tad sharper than I'd given his special ed ass credit for. Em was smart; hell, I knew how smart the dumb fucker was, but he usually wasn't the first to see what should be clear as water. It would only make sense that the one thing I _really didn't_ want him to figure out would turn out to be what the man had radar or some kind of shit for. I was going to bust an artery if he asked me one more time who was "tickling my pickle." To be honest, I guess I was a little pissed that, as hard as I was trying to keep a wrap on things, I was still being transparent enough that even Emmett could see what was right under his nose. So I guess it shouldn't have shocked me when he asked point blank when I'd be bringing "her" around for everyone to meet. Of course I vehemently denied that there was a "her."

"Or him, I'm no homophobe, Edwina. I just didn't think you swung that way."

"Shut the fuck up, Emmett. You have no idea what you're talking about. Just drop it, okay?"

My brother surprised me with a rare moment of sincerity, "Sorry, man. I'll back off. It's just obvious that you're pretty fucking happy, and I'd just like to meet whoever it is that's making you this way." Wow, my brother had a way of surprising me when I least expected it. "I'd like to smack your boyfriend on the ass as a thank you for making you less of a prick lately, that's all." Annnnnnd, the sincerity disappeared as easily as it appeared.

Hell, at least with Emmett what you saw was what you got. With Rose you never knew what was going on in her pretty, blonde head. Alice and Jasper usually managed to avoid these moments altogether, but the two of them proved to be worth their weight in transmission fluid when I needed help throwing Sherlock Horny off the trail. Add to that the fact that Alice and Bella had become fast friends, and whenever I needed a cover or help with Mini Me, that made her and Jasper invaluable.

It seemed the entire family had their theories as to what I'd been up to lately. Mom and Dad definitely had a clue that something was going on, but at least they had the common decency to let me handle whatever it was in my own way. Mom had even called and left a message to say that she was available if I needed her for any last minute babysitting. Even overnight. No questions asked. Guess she had high hopes that her theories were correct.

Bella and Masen's bi-weekly lessons were producing amazing results. M was quickly outplaying his old man when we sat alongside one another at the bench, often correcting my form or simply blowing me away whenever he played. The two of them were becoming as thick as thieves; it wasn't unusual for me to hear fits of laughter erupting from where they worked. My standard question, "What's so funny in there?" was always answered with, "Nooothing...." After each lesson at our place, Mini Me would beg for Bella to stay for dinner. She stayed so often that he stopped asking, and B became a fixture in our kitchen every Tuesday, moving around Mini and I as we all worked together to make dinner or decide what to have delivered. It was wonderful watching her in my space, all comfortable and shit. B was becoming a part of our lives. I realized I needed to tell Masen about dating Bella sooner rather than later one Tuesday as I watched her lean over to swipe at Mini's nose with a napkin; wiping away the homemade pizza sauce we had all made earlier.

Bella and Alice were growing closer too. She knew to find B at our place on Tuesday nights, and it was a rare night that she didn't call asking to speak to my woman about their weekend plans or invite her to do something. They loved riding together, and would plan day trips to Daytona or Palm Coast to shop at the boutiques there. Alice even took her over to Gainesville a few times to show her our old college stomping grounds. Hell, Alice had met her parents! Well, Rene and Phil, Bella's mom and step-dad. It was clear that as more time passed, Bella would continue to become a fixture in all of our lives. But that didn't surprise me in the least. What did have me stumped was how Alice, Jazz, and I had managed to keep Emmett and the rest of the family in the dark. Either we were a hell of a lot better liars than we ever imagined, or everyone else was. Either way, I seriously doubted this could go on much longer, and honestly, I didn't want it to.

~oOo~

The Sexbargo had come to its natural end. No pun intended. There was no major discussion about when it should end, which surprised the hell out of me. No date set or plan made. It just ended one night. It was perfect. Just like Bella. We had spent the day in and out of the water. Masen had gone to spend the weekend at a friend's house, so we had two whole days to just spend together. Between the beach and her dock out on the inlet, we had little need for much clothing. I was never so thankful for living in a climate that allowed the female form to be minimally clad three hundred days out of the year.

I had no idea there were so many different kinds of bikinis, nor did I have any clue that Bella owned most of them. Every time I turned around it seemed she had a different one on. My current favorite was a blue one that fit like it was like it was made for her, and it had this bad ass skull print on it. Not to mention that it showed off that tat of hers perfectly. We were lying on thick towels, warmed from the heat radiating up from the wood of the dock. Bella was on her back with her eyes closed and her hair fanned out around her, drying in the sun. I lay next to her on my side with my head propped up on my hand. My face was so near her thigh. My free hand traced the inked image on her hip. I could smell the oils and lotions I had recently rubbed into her skin. Her hand languidly stroked my lower leg; my ankle, up along my shin, on to my knee where it would brush the hem of my board shorts before turning and retreating back down my leg only to repeat the maddening pattern. The only sounds were the birds overhead, the waves as they lapped at the pilings of the dock, and the occasional hum of a boat motor when a small craft would pass by.

It started with a chaste kiss on that thigh which was just within my reach. I would have preferred her lips, but it was what I could reach at the moment. Her soft moan was more of a cautionary tone than one of pleasure, though it certainly was that as well. "Edward. What are you up to down there?" I smirked as I pressed a second kiss to her muscled leg. When I licked my lips I could taste the salt from her skin mixed with the lotion. Most of all I could taste _Bella_.

"Nothing, dear. I'm up to nothing. I am simply enjoying being in your presence."

"Umm-huh. I doubt that," her voice was heavy and relaxed. And sexy as hell.

"I could very easily find something to get into, though. I'm very creative." I kissed her a third time, but on her hip right on the daisy I had just been tracing. She'd yet to explain the tat's meaning, but she'd said it held deep symbolism for her and had promised to explain it when the time was right. I trusted Bella enough to know when that time would be. The third kiss brought her up on her elbows. She looked down the length of her body to me. It was the most alluring thing I'd ever seen; her eyes looking at me through thick lashes, the sun glistening off her skin, and the bare, soft curves of her body. It took everything in me not to climb up her and take her then and there.

"Edward. Don't start something you cannot finish." The warning in her voice sounded more like a challenge to my testosterone charged mind.

"Who said anything about not finishing?" My own voice now held the same gravely tone hers did. I rose up on my hands and knees, crawling the few steps in order to reach those lips that had just issued the sweetest challenge. I bent further to kiss her deeply. When I had her breathless I spoke into her lips, "I always finish what I start, beloved. Perhaps it's just been so long that you don't remember."

"Oh... I remember. I remember _very_ well..." Bella's lips parted in anticipation of another kiss.

She looked surprised when I pulled back and answered her instead, "Well, in that case, I guess you don't need a refresher course."

Those brown eyes slowly opened and locked onto mine. The need and desire in them was obvious. One hand came up behind my head, threading its way into the hair at the nape of my neck. Without breaking her gaze, she gently pulled my mouth to hers, and after a breath of a kiss, she whispered, "Please, Edward. Please refresh my memory?"

I moaned into our kiss and gathered her into my arms. After an awkward show of us trying to stand without breaking our hold on one another and nearly falling off the dock in the process, we started the long journey back up the walk to her house. Halfway there, in mid- kiss, Bella remembered the towels left forgotten where we had been lying. She tried to break free, but I was not ready to let her go. Especially with the way the rest of my body was responding to the possibility of what could happen between us.

"Edward," her tone was cute and teacher-y as she chided me, "I need to run back for the towels. I'll just be a sec. Ed-ward! Please!" She gently pried my hands from her hips and pressed a quick kiss to my chest before jogging back for the towels. She ran right back, and the view was magnificent. She slowed as she neared, her arms immediately going up around my neck. I pulled her to me until the full lengths of our bodies were pressed tightly together. Bella gasped at the contact our thin suits afforded us. "More, Edward. Show me more."

With that I picked her up, her legs wrapping around my waist, lining us up perfectly. It took a Herculean effort, but I managed to make it back to the house without embarrassing myself. We erupted into frenzied kisses, like two people who had been stranded in a desert and stumbled upon an oasis. Fingers tugging, scratching, kissing, biting, and moaning -- it was intense and primal. Then the feel of Bella wrapped around me, in every way, was enough to bring me to an early finish. We stumbled up the stairs this way. I managed to bang the hell out of Bella's knees and elbows on the wall and railing as I struggled to control myself. Bursting through the doors, we almost ended up on our asses, but I somehow kept us moving towards the stairs to her room. Bella's smile against my mouth and her gentle attempts to get me to put her down were almost unnoticeable in the fury of the moment.

"Edward, baby.... _Edward! Honey,_ let me down. I don't think my knees and elbows could survive another trip up the stairs like the last one. Put me down, sweetie." Her tone was kind and dripping in sex. I couldn't deny her. I groaned loudly as her legs released my waist and she slid down my front.

"Here? You wanna do this _here_?" I gestured to the living room.

"No, but I'm not about to risk further bodily injury just so you can play cave man and haul my ass up the stairs. I'm walking this set."

"Fine by me, but I doubt you can carry me like I did you."

She laughed that beautiful laugh of hers, and used the towel around my neck to rein me in closer to her. She backed her way up the staircase and pulled me with her. "No, I wouldn't even try to. You'd give me a hernia."

She stopped at the top of the stairs and drew me to her. There were no words of "are you sure?" or "we can stop." This was all or nothing. We had both come to our own conclusions that this was the right time. We didn't need words to confirm it. She led me to her room, our frenzy settling into acceptance that this was happening. I pulled her to me as we entered her room. Scooping her up, I cradled her to my chest as we crossed over to her bed. When I righted her, I took care to press a kiss to each bruised elbow before kneeling to do the same for her tender knees. Her fingers wound into my hair as I nuzzled up her thigh, nibbling and licking the salt off her skin there. When I reached her tattoo of the daisy and the tiny bird, I paid the image homage with a chaste kiss.

I looked up into her heavy eyes before hitching my fingers under the elastic of her suit bottoms and gently tugging them down. The sight of her bare before me was more than I remembered. So very much more. I wanted to savor the sight of her, drink her in. She stepped out and I tossed the bottoms aside. Overwhelmed by the moment, I wound my arms around her waist and pressed my cheek to her stomach. And just breathed. I breathed in the scent of her, the warm air around her, and the sweet, musky smell of her need for me. Only when I felt Bella's gentle hands in my hair did I stir to stand. I trailed kisses up her abdomen and in the valley between the gentle swells of her breasts. Next to receive the treatment were her shoulders, and as I nipped and licked at the taut skin there, I tugged on the ties that held her top against her skin. The tiny scraps fell away, tumbling to the ground.

The feel of her skin in my hands felt like silk as I smoothed my palms over her now naked form. She gasped quietly when I brushed over the peaks of her nipples with my finger tips. It seemed like eons since I had last felt Bella like this. Almost like another lifetime. It was like it had been the first time I'd touched her, but familiar, unhurried, right. She reached between us and palmed my length through my suit. Her hands slowly explored me in ways she hadn't in so long. It was heaven and hell, the sweetest pleasure and the cruelest torture. One of her hands crept up the ripples of my abdomen, tracing the contours of my chest and arms, always fascinated by the colors that adorned the skin there.

"Edward?" Her voice was small, tentative, almost fearful as if I might deny her the request she was about to make. I reassured her with a tender kiss. "Edward, why this one? What does it read?" Her fingers brushed the ink that covered the ribs on my right side. I was not expecting_ that_ question, but I would deny her nothing in the moment.

"It says 'Tiger' and it's my sign. I was born in the year of the Tiger."

She traced the strokes that made up the symbol. "I didn't know you were into ancient Chinese Astrology...."

"Just as you are always so quick to remind me that there are many things that I don't know about you, there are many things that you do not know about me."

"Touché. So I guess that explains this tiger head on your bicep. It's beautiful, by the way. I've never seen one like it."

"Yes, that's me. And I drew that one." My breath caught when she placed a kiss on the tiger as I had just done to the flower on her hip.

"And this one, on the left side?"

Her touch ghosted across my abdomen to the skin on the other side of my body. Her other hand remained entirely occupied as well, making it difficult to concentrate. I didn't have to look to know it was Masen's tat.

"'Dragon'. That one reads dragon, and it's Masen's sign." Her hand immediately made the connection at the same moment her brain did and reached for the graphic tribal tat of a dragon that wrapped around my lower arm on the same side.

"It's such a strong image for such a little guy. But it fits him."

"This is how I see Masen. Sure, he's my son, but he's his own person, and he's a tough little shit. I remind myself of that each time I look down at that one. He may just be a kid, but he's very capable."

Bella became very quiet. My hands were busy caressing her soft form. My eyes followed them wherever they went, hungry for the sight and feel of her. She stood there, naked, bared for me to take in. I wanted to be just as vulnerable as she was, so I stilled her hand and brought it to my lips where I pressed a kiss to her fingers then laid it flat to my chest. Then I slowly slid my suit off and stepped out of it. Her eyes slowly opened to watch me move. They drifted up and settled on my chest and on the new addition that they found there. Well, new to her. I'd had this one a little over a month now. Just under Masen's name that was emblazoned across my entire chest were two new Chinese characters. They sat over my heart.

"These- these are new...? I don't remember these, Edward, and believe me, I have _every inch_ of your body committed to memory." Her gaze drifted over my naked body and Little Eddie responded to his audience of one. I was so proud of the little fucker at that moment.

"Oh, really? Well, you're right. These are new, but they are actually one tat. And before I tell you what it means, I'm hoping you'll finally tell me about _your_ tat." I bent to kiss the swell of her breast, "Tit for tat, I think the saying goes." I expected her to shut down at the mention of her tattoo. Maybe it was the fact that we were both so exposed and vulnerable. Maybe she sensed that I was about to tell her something profound about my new tattoo, but she didn't hesitate. And it made me love her even more for it.

She pulled us both down onto her bed, lying across it on her back. I shifted to my side to see her better. She was glorious with her hair around her. I leaned to kiss her, to reassure her that I was here, and listening. She took my hand and pressed it to the picture on her hip, craving that physical connection between us. Several times she began to speak, only to stop and try to start again. I knew this was big for her, but the not knowing and the mystery were worse than any history she could give me. Sensing she needed more from me, I bent and kissed both the flower and the bird that graced the snowy skin of her pelvis, then nestled my head to her abdomen. I thought it might be easier to talk about whatever the fuck it was if she didn't feel like she was being stared at. It worked. She curled her leg over my waist and started talking again.

"They're a daisy and a lark, images from a bedtime story my mother used to tell me when I was a really little girl. I got it to remind me of someone I never want to forget. It's hidden 'cause it's very personal, and I don't talk about it. Ever. It's just easier if it's not in plain sight for everyone to see and comment on." I sensed that she was finished, that this was all the explanation I was going to get from her at that moment. But I needed more. So I pushed a little and took a guess.

"Which one represents you? The bird or the flower?" I was shocked that she answered me.

"The daisy. I'm the daisy."

"So, who is the lark, love?"

"My sister, Theresa-- Reese."

When she spoke that name my eyes shot to hers. I'd heard that name before, when she slept. One minute she would be sleeping soundly in my arms, peace and contentment radiating off her unconscious form like waves. This is where I slept best: next to Bella. I knew that this is where I wanted to spend every night for whatever time I had on this planet. I wanted to be here, next to my girl. But at some point in the night something would change, almost as if someone had flipped a light switch, and suddenly she would be deep in a nightmare. These dreams were old news now. I knew the routine. Bella would start out sleeping like a baby, wrapped in my arms, but then she would become a bit restless. Soon she would be kicking and thrashing, crying out into the dark that enveloped us. She would cry out the same thing every night. "Reese! I'm so sorry! Reese! Don't go! Stay with me... stay with us! Reese!" And I was powerless to stop it. Sure, if it were a real thing that I could fight then I would. I would dismember the fucker with my bare hands, whatever or whoever it was that caused my heart to crack like this, and that was exactly what Bella had become. My heart. With each and every nightmare I felt her crack and fragment. I worried that she would never be able to repair the damage her sub-conscious was inflicting. It ended the same way each time: The nightmare would get to a point where I could no longer bear to hear her cry out, so I would shake Bella until she awoke, scared and disoriented. She would then apologize for disturbing me and jump up to use the restroom. The water would run as she knocked back a glass of water, and then she would walk back to bed, crawl back under the covers and snuggle in close to me. This is how we would drift back to sleep.

Finally, I had an answer. I now knew who Reese was. I tenderly caressed the skin at her hip and put my head back against her soft abdomen.

"I didn't know you had a sister, baby."

Bella was quiet, and for a moment I thought she finished talking, but then she continued.

"I was very young when she died, I was eight and she was five, but she was my world. There was a horrible accident. I survived and she did not. I miss her every day, and I still feel the void she left just as much as the day she died. I have these--nightmares, and I relive the night of the accident."

"Oh, Bella. I'm so sorry, sweetie. I had no idea. Tell me about her?"

"Not now, Edward. I will., I promise I will, but right now I just need to be here in this moment with you. To love you and have you love me. Can you do that, please?"

I moved to lie alongside her again so I could see her. I started with her hair and looked down the full length of her body, pausing to look at the tattoo we were just discussing, then continuing to her toes and back up again. I saw her differently than that first time she revealed her form to me in her class room. My view of her had changed even since that last time we were together like this. I wanted to protect her, provide for her, consume her, ravish her, reward her. I wanted to rejoice that she had trusted me, and I wanted to honor and acknowledge that trust. I took her hand and placed it over my heart and the tat she had asked about just minutes earlier. I used her finger tip to trace the ink.

"It reads 'Phoenix.' It's your sign, Bella. You were born in the year of the Phoenix, and this is your sign over my heart." I knew she could feel my heart under her hand. Hell, I could feel hers through her finger tips. Yet there was no response. No smart ass remark, no quirky quip. Just silence.

Then in a flash of skin and limbs Bella was over me, straddling me, pushing me back into the mattress. Her mouth crashed down onto mine, her one hand remained over my heart while the other braided into my hair. She broke the kiss first.

"You marked yourself with my sign?" It was more of a statement than a question, but there was the tiniest inflection at the very end. More disbelief than question.

"Yeah, baby, I did. I wanted to remember someone very special to _me_ -- always." I intentionally used words similar to the ones she had just used herself. This was as close to telling her I loved her as I could get right at that moment. And it was close enough.

Bella buried her face in my neck, planting kisses there, nuzzling her way along my recently unshaved jaw to my chin.

"I love the scruff, Edward. I love how it scratches against my skin."

I obliged her by gently rubbing against her neck and collar bone, soothing the sensitive skin with my tongue as I went. She rocked over me at the sensation, moaning. Her warm, wet center brushed against my stomach as she move back and forth. I sat up, straining to reach her better. The shift caused my erection to slip between us, her core sliding along the length. Her hands kneaded at the muscles covering my shoulders: pulling me closer, spurring me on as I matched her movements from beneath her.

"Edward...." Bella's voice was breathy, pleading. "Edward, I need this. I'm ready for this...."

"I'm yours, Bella. My soul, my heart, my body- it belongs to you."

Our voices were hushed and reverent, each of us acknowledging the return to one another. My skin tingled across every square inch. Every pore hummed at her touch. I could hear the hair on my chin as it scraped against her skin, causing her to moan and bow backwards- allowing me better access to where she wanted to feel me scratch the supple skin of her chest and neck. Her breathing turned to pants, and her hands planted themselves on my shoulders. Her nails dug into my skin, the pain erotic and intoxicating. The length of her hair cascaded behind her, pooling in my lap, each move she made causing it to sway and dance over my thighs in cool waves. The dueling sensations of pleasure and pain and the friction Bella was creating had me reeling. I wanted her to feel it as well; I cupped her beautiful breasts in my hands, running my fingers over the pink tips before bending to rub them with the scruff of my chin then suckle each one. I felt Bella shift her hips backward, aligning me perfectly with her entrance. When she shifted again I felt the soft warmth of her core as I slipped into her. We both gasped at the sensation. I grabbed her hips to still her and just savor the moment. Then, when I couldn't wait any longer, I lowered her slowly down onto me. Bella cried out as I filled her, overcome by the moment of us being like this again. She rocked as our hips met, exploring the feel of us together this way. Carefully, she lifted herself up, drawing tight around me as she did. I hissed in a breath as she neared the tip and then sank back down again, her slow movements maddening and perfect.

I let her continue, setting our pace. We were unusually quiet as Bella continued with the purposeful rise and fall, the friction building with each shift she made. We let our bodies say everything we held deep within. Then, when I thought I was going to have to beg her to move faster, she did just that. Her breathtaking form moved over me faster and faster. I reached behind her, grasping at her back as she steadied her hands on my shoulders. I buried my head in the crook of her neck and breathed in the sweet, salty scent of her; the coconut oil mixing with the smell of sex and need. I licked and kissed and nipped at the tender flesh there; spurring her on. Her head fell back as I felt her tighten around me, constricting and contracting again and again. I was so close, just barely holding back, when I felt her shudder and heard the most beautiful sound as she cried out one word: _Edward_. Me. My name. In her greatest moment of need it was _my_ name she called. No one else's. This knowledge threw me over the edge, bringing me to climax just after her. We slowed, the urgency and passion replaced with tenderness. Bella again rocked gently over me. Savoring the connection, allowing us to ride out the waves of aftershock that still wracked our bodies. When we finally broke the sacred silence it was with a surprising giggle that escaped from her smiling, blissful lips.

"What's so funny, my love?" I gently positioned us back against her pillows, tucking her into my side. She looked up adoringly at me as she answered.

"I've never felt that intense before. Or that powerful, but I felt entirely exposed at the same time. I guess I'm just a little blown away that I could feel that way all at the same time."

"You were- are.... You_ are _beautiful, and powerful, and intense, Bella. And so much more. I can't wait to show you all the things you are. And I can't _wait _to show you all the things I want to do to this beautifully intense body of yours."

We spent the rest of the day and all that night reconnecting and rediscovering each other. After expending every ounce of energy we had playing out fantasies, Bella fell asleep in my arms as she had more nights than I could count. This time curled against my bare chest, her hand over my heart and her mark on it. Her mark went much deeper than the ink did, though. She was etched on the very muscle that beat below the indelible symbol, and there she slept, quietly, through the entire night.

~oOo~

A/N: Ok, the Sexbargo is OVER. Are we happy? Was it worth it? Thank you all so much for reading, I wouldn't be writing if you weren't reading. In fact, to thank you guys, I'm taking part in the big thank you _**MrsTheKing**_ is organizing. What you haven't heard about it on Twitter? Here's a link, (take out the spaces): http:// theficbridge . blogspot . com/


	11. Vixens and Villans

**A/N: **A very special thank you to my betas: **DizzyGrl28** and **TwilightMundi**. You make my words *sparkle*!

To my muse, **tellingmelies**, there wouldn't be a CH11 without you. To **KatBlack24**, thank you for claiming me in real life, and for always supporting me. I love you both.

I own nothing related to Twilight. S. Meyer does. I do own this story line and the crazy Ride these kids are on.

Playlist: Everything by Lifehouse, The Boys Of Summer by The Ataris, Learning To Breathe by Switchfoot, It's Getting Hot In Here by Nelly

You can listen online at http: //www .playlist. com/ playlist/ 19340929035 (remove spaces)

**~oOo~**

**Ch11-Vixens and Villains**

_**BPOV**_

_**November 2009**_

I really needed to get my shit together. I was supposed to be at Rene's by two, and I still had a lot to do before I could even consider leaving. The alarm cried out for the fourth time, and I whacked at the snooze button once again. There was no doubt in my mind I needed to get my ass out of bed, but as I laid there - entirely blissed out - I had trouble doing anything other replaying the last twenty-four hours in my head. Edward's mouth on my body, teasing and tempting pleasure from within. His hands exploring every inch of me. My thighs rubbed against each other at the memory of his-- um, very gifted peen filling me . The warm form that curled around me stirred and snuggled in closer. Instantly, I did the same. Just as I was drifting back to sleep I felt a long, languid lick run from my jaw to my temple.

"Ugh! Mr. DARCY! So much for sleeping in and having a lazy morning in bed." I said to the empty room. Then I looked down at the massive creature in my warm bed, "_You!_ You, sir, are _not _supposed to be in _my_ bed! And I _really_ need to be brushing your teeth more often. Bleck!"

I should have made him get down and into his own bed, but didn't have the heart to drag him out of mine. Besides, I would need to wash those sheets anyways. Might as well let him enjoy them a few minutes longer while I went to the bathroom and pulled on some shorts and a tank. I was, well _we_ were going for a run on the beach as soon as I was ready. Darcy and I, that is. Edward had left hours earlier; he needed to be home when Masen got up. I recalled his early morning goodbyes to me as the sun began to peak up over the horizon.

_"I gotta go, baby. Masen will be up in a few hours and I want to be sure I'm home when he is. I need some time to organize my thoughts before he and I have our little chat."_

_"Let me throw on a robe and I'll walk you down."_

_"No, stay in bed. I want my last image of you from tonight to be of you naked, ravished in your bed. Geez, your beautiful, Bella." I wondered if he might not change his mind and stay when he crawled back onto my bed and began peppering my mouth with kisses. Each one deepening beyond the last. "Thank you for last night and yesterday."_

_"No- thank you, Mr. Cullen. That was... wowzers."_

_"'Wowzers?' What is _that_, Bella? I'm hoping that's good. No, I'm hoping that's girlie code for 'fuck awesome!'" _

_I giggled at his grimace, and reached up to smooth the lines from his face. My fingers combed his gorgeous sex-hair back, not really helping to tame it at all._

_"It is, sweetie. I promise. Last night was fucking awesome."_

_"I love it when you swear. Makes me want to crawl back under those covers with you."_

_"Then what the bloody hell are you fucking waiting for?" A noise rumbled deep in his chest- a mix between a moan and a growl. _

_"I gotta get home, Bella. But, I really do want to stay."_

_"I know you do. Hey, the sooner you go the sooner you can get back, right?"_

_"Sure thing, hon. Listen, about what you told me last night...."_

_"About Reese."_

_"Yes, about your sister. I would really like to know more about her when you're ready. I won't push, I just want to know her like you do. When you're ready to talk, I'm ready to listen."_

_"Thank you, Edward. That means everything to me. We will talk about her. Soon. But now you have to get home so you can talk to your son, as per our agreement."_

_"Ugh! Fine. Going." He kissed me deeply one final time before vowing to text when he got home and call later._

With that, Edward Cullen left my bed and headed home to his son; prepared to tell him about "us." One more major step was about to be taken. We both had agreed in a moment of post-smexin' bliss that it was time to tell not only his son, but his entire family. He planned to tell Masen this morning and the rest of his coven of crazies this evening. I'd been told to prepare for an official phone call; inviting me to Sunday's Family Brunch with the Cullen's. It seemed like a lot in a really short time, but honestly, we'd been working toward this for months now. It just seemed right.

I'd already told Rene about seeing Edward- back in October. I needed her advice. She may not have always been the image of June Cleaver, but she's a good mom who loves me, and a hell of a "girlfriend". She's been more like one of those than a mom through the years, so whenever I was struggling with something it was easy to go to her for advice and feedback. Not being able to talk to her about everything I was feeling for Edward had been hard, not to mention being able to voice my fears and concerns about work. I finally relented and told her when I received an invitation from Alice to attend some Halloween bash she was hosting. I'd been invited as her friend, not Edward's date, seeing as we were still "in the closet" so to speak. I had serious doubts that I could be in a room with him and pretend that every fiber of my being wasn't drawn to him. So I'd called Rene and rode out to see her and Phil one Sunday. We went for our usual bonding activity: mani/pedis. The two of us rode our bikes to our favorite day spa just up the road from Mom and Phil's place. Manuel took Rene while Mary went to work on my feet. Once we were settled into the massage chairs, and as the basins filled with hot water Rene launched into "girlfriend" mode.

_"So? What's his name?" She didn't even look up from the Vanity Fair she was flipping through._

_"Who? What's who's name, Mom?"_

_"The guy. Don't play coy with me, Bella. I know you, and you don't just call up out of the blue for "mother daughter bonding time", unless there's something you want to talk about. Judging from the shit-eating grin and the "I'm in love" glow, I'd have to say there's a man in the picture. So. What's his name?" _

_"Wow. Um, Edward. His name is Edward. And, yeah, I've got it pretty bad, _Mom_."_

_"Okay. Tell me about him." She closed the magazine and laid it to the side; giving me her undivided attention. That in itself was an amazing feat. Add to that the fact that she wasn't firing off questions like a Mexican firing squad and I was on unfamiliar ground with my mother. It was clear she was taking whatever I was about to tell her very seriously. Rene rarely took anything seriously. She usually just shrugged most things off;__,__ she was the queen of downplaying._

_I spilled the beans, well, most of them. I explained that he was the father of one of my students and that we had met at a parent/teacher meeting and how we were instantly drawn to one another. I left out the details about the piano almost-smexin'. We talked about how to address the situation with the school, and she calmed my fears about any negative reaction Masen may have to my seeing Edward. She simply stated that all kids want to be loved. "Just love him and he'll respond. He won't be able to help himself." I wondered when my mom had developed so much wisdom. We talked about the upcoming party, and she once again convinced me that I was looking at the situation all wrong. Rather than worry about having to pretend that I wasn't interested, why not take the opportunity to show how interested I _really_ was. Tease him a bit. His family and friends didn't need to know that we were already together. To them it would look like another woman interested in their friend/brother. She encouraged me to relax and enjoy the night, maybe find a way to move the end of the sexbargo up. Yeah, I told her about that, too. Like I said, she was more like a girlfriend than a mom in many respects. I drew the line at details, though. She knew we'd been together, just not the details. Ew._

_Rene, in typical girlfriend form, declared that this news needed to be celebrated. She then called the owner of the spa over and whispered something to her. The woman simply nodded very seriously and grinned warmly at me. As soon as my mani/pedi was finished Rene looked at me at declared that my "day of beauty" had one final treatment. She then bent close to my ear and whispered, "You're going to get your first Brazilian, dear! My treat!" Like it was a banana Sunday or some shit! Hell, I'd been bare before, mostly from shaving, but this past year I'd discovered the Magic Cream, and was very happy with its enchanting ability to keep my lady bits smooth. I had never, nor did I ever imagine that one day I would be laying spread eagle in front of a stunningly beautiful woman with long, dark curls and flawless olive skin. She had introduced herself as my esthetician, Eleanor when she led me back to a private room. Her accent was beautiful and being nervous and desperate for distraction I asked her where she was from, she smiled sweetly and said Israel. I babbled on about how I'd always wanted to travel there and made a mental promise to myself to do that someday. She graced me with another glimpse at her beautiful smile when I told her that I had never had my nether regions groomed professionally. She promised to be "gentle" with me. I wondered if the glint in her eye was imagined or real. I was going with imagined. I was not looking forward to this at all. If it hadn't been for the fact that Rene had already paid for it, and that I didn't want to look like a, well, pardon the term, pussy, I would have walked out of there completely satisfied with my do it yourself gardening job. _

_Needless to say, it was _not_ painless. Nor did I see where there was any "gentle" to the procedure. I mean, come on! How fucking gentle can one be when ripping the hair from a pelvic area? I could have sworn that the exotic beauty smirked when I cried out and gasped from the pain. "It's not so bad, now is it?" If I could have found my voice to tell her just how bad it was she may have slapped some of that wax and tape over my mouth to shut me up. After a few more rips and tugs, I was positive that no man OR woman would be allowed anywhere near my lady parts ever again. In fact, I wondered if I had any lady parts left until she handed me a handheld mirror to inspect her er-- handiwork. Oh, sure, now I _totally_ saw the drawl for thousands of women to have the hair on the most sensitive area of their body torn off. Red, swollen, tender coochies were soooo fucking sexy._ Not. _I was momentarily grateful for the sexbargo._

**~oOo~**

_**The Week Prior to Halloween**_

_Jeebus, I hate this holiday. Why does everyone make such a huge fucking fuss over the dammed thing anyway?_

Okay, I could see the draw for kids, free candy buffet and all, but adults? It just seemed like a sad excuse to get drunk, steal candy from miniature monsters, and pathetically veiled attempts at role playing. For cripe's sake people! Go buy your own damn candy and keep the kinky shit in the bedroom, that's what I've always thought. As for getting hammered, did anyone ever need an excuse to that? Really?

Apparently my new bestest friend in the whole wide world was known for throwing an annual Halloween bash. (Note the sarcasm that I'm sure you cannot hear in my inner voice at this exact moment.) I had hoped that the fact that Edward and I were an item was still not yet public knowledge would provide me with a "get out of Hell free" pass. But nope. I was not only invited but expected to attend. Yay for me. I had also been instructed to come sexy or bring my own body bag and toe tag, as those would not be provided, and I'd need one if I showed up dressed as anything less than high class hooker. Well, at least I had two ideas for a costume right of the bat: dead body or hooker. I opted for sexy Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. I actually already had the costume from two years ago and the last time I'd been suckered into attending one of these debacles. I really didn't care what I wore, so I dug the thing out of the back of the closet and resigned myself to fate.

I swore and cursed the little spiky haired imp that had quickly become a fixture in my life. We actually had a lot in common. First was our love all things on two wheels that packed serious horsepower. While I was more of a Hog kinda girl, she was all about the chopper. I guess the fact that she was deeply entrenched in the family biz as a designer fed that obsession. We went for rides along the coast, her on her custom chopper, that she designed herself, of course; and me on my Hog. Then there was our mutual love for high end clothing. No I kid you not. I have a soft spot for a hot assed pair of sexy stilettos, or a beautifully tailored coat. And what woman doesn't love a pair of jeans that makes their ass look like J-Lo's? I'd easily drop a grand for a pair of those bitches. Kidding, maybe not a grand, but a couple hundred dollars for sure. I didn't have nearly the wardrobe that Alice did, but what I had was well made and for the most part classic.

Shopping together was always an adventure. I loved her snarky sense of humor and she had a way of putting all things into perspective. Relatively speaking. She had zero perspective when we were shopping, besides the singular goal of what she had come in search of. Money and time were of little matter when she was on a mission. We were on just such a mission, searching for decorations for her Halloween Bash, that she attempted to drag out of me what I planned to wear. I had vehemently refused to give her any details; fearing that she'd only deem it unacceptable and try to dress me up. I wasn't a fucking Barbie, and I'd be dammed if I was going to go into a party full of drunk, horny, funky dressed adults and not be comfortable. Not to mention that my fuck hot secret boyfriend would be at said party, and I was going to have to spend the night pretending that I had no clue who he was.

We were walking around some Halloween super store that had sprung up for the season searching for life-sized Grim Reaper mannequins she'd seen somewhere before.

_Gawd. Have I mentioned that I detest this holiday? 'Cause if I haven't then I really need to say it more often. Ugh! _

I followed dutifully along behind the pint-sized pip-squeak as she wove through the massive amounts of creepy inventory. I was distracted by the shelves that were covered in rows of bins, each filled to overflowing with some disgusting something or other that was deemed necessity for this sad excuse for a holiday. Eyeballs, disembodied limbs, realistic feeling entrails-- who needs _that_? I was purposefully avoiding the section of realistic insects with its multitude of varying species of arachnids when her exasperated huff drew my attention back to my shopping partner. Alice was obviously distressed.

"I can't find them or anything even remotely like what I'm looking for! Some Halloween Super Store this turned out to be! I wonder if Kat would help me make some. She made her boys, you know."

"Alice, if Kat made hers then what made you think you'd find them here?"

"She got the idea after she saw them for sale in some Halloween catalogue. She only made hers 'cause she wanted the challenge and she wanted hers to be a little bigger than the ones she saw."

Alice had Kat on the pone instantly and within minutes the conversation was over and she was grinning from ear to ear. "What's up, Allie? Will she help you?" She continued through the store, weaving in and out of the isles. "Even better! She's going to loan me hers! Yay!" She turned and headed off in search of more guts and gore to festively decorate her parents' obscenely large home. I drove past their home every day on my way to and from work. I was well acquainted with the glimpses I caught of it through the large security gate that sheltered it from the rest of the world. It wasn't alone though. All the homes along "Mansion Row" had the fences and mechanical gates.

While my secret relationship with Edward may not have saved me from having to attending Alice's party, it did get me out of having to help decorate, so that Saturday I spent the day relaxing enjoying the weather and a quiet day. Alone- Edward was still expected to help. I went for a jog on the beach, washed the vehicles, and then came in to get ready for the "party of the century." After my shower, I came down to collect my glass of wine I'd forgotten on the kitchen island, and stopped to sit at my piano when I passed by. Dressed in only my short satin robe, I set my glass carefully on the bench and sat at the keyboard of the beloved instrument. I'd been doing this a lot lately. Just sitting for a few minutes to play around with the notes as they drifted up from the strings. I could picture the tiny hammers plunking down on each string as I pressed the keys. This was a favorite past time of Reese and mine when we were little. Our ancient upright had a panel in the front that could be removed to tune or clean the instrument. We'd beg Daddy to remove it; then one of us would play and the other would balance on the edge of the bench. For hours we sat enraptured as we peered into the opening, watching and memorizing which hammer struck which string as a key was played. We would take turns back and forth, sitting like that until Dad closed up the piano or we were called to dinner. Even now I would stand at the piano in my classroom and gaze down into the baby grand as I played random notes. The hammer would strike the proper string teasing it to hum and vibrate and sing until it met with the hum of another string; causing them to blend together in chords and harmonies.

iI was thinking about her a lot more lately. Some of the memories still hurt, but every time I unpacked a moment that I had safely stashed away, it became a little easier to remember. I could gradually feel the memories being interlaced with the beauty of the music, and the music made it somehow easier to bear. I knew the time I'd been spending with Edward and Masen was changing me; healing me in a way that years of patient therapy and understanding, sympathetic hearts had never been able to. I found moments like these- sitting at the keys of my piano, thinking of "my men" as I'd come to think of them, where I wanted to tell them more about her. In Edward's case, tell him period. And not just the gruesome narrative of her death and the pain I'd lived with all these years, but of her _life_. I wanted to be able to say, "I remember when Reese would...." and spout off a funny story about the little girl who had been so full of life and love. My heart was healing, little by little. I could almost physically feel it. Still, after nearly twenty years of repressing and hiding emotions it wasn't as simple as just starting to talk. I need a starting point, an "in" if you would. I knew the moment would present itself when I could tell Edward about her. For now I was content to just _want_ to share Reese with them. Something told me the wait wouldn't be too long.

The clock in the foyer chimed.

_"For whom the bell tolls...." _I thought.

I huffed a sigh, resolved to my fate and headed upstairs with my glass of wine, aka liquid courage, to get ready. _Think positively_. Renee had called earlier and reminded me of our discussion over our "girls' day" that this could be a great opportunity to have some fun and let loose. Something I hadn't done much of lately. I planned to do just that. Heaven help Edward.

I dressed carefully, starting with my hair and makeup. Normally I didn't wear a lot of makeup, not that I didn't like it, but the effort was wasted on a classroom of nine year old kids. Tonight? Well, tonight my efforts would be fully appreciated. I paid special attention to my eyes and lips; my best features, or so I'd been told. I masterfully applied fake lashes and then blended the smokey grays and silvers to make my eyes sultry and seductive. My hair was curled and carefully sectioned into two low ponytails. I tied lengths of blue and white gingham checked ribbon around each one and into neat bows that matched my costume.

Next I slipped on the baby blue ruffled panties I'd recently bought at Vicki's especially for tonight and the white thigh-high stockings. I loved that they also had the same detail of the blue and white bows on each thigh. Relishing in the feel of the satin, I let the robe slide down my arms, leaving me mostly bare. I hung it on its hook and gazed at my reflection in the mirror. To look at me nothing much had changed. I still looked the same as I always had, but something was definitely different. Edward and Masen had made that difference, and even though it was an internal change, it seemed to radiate outward to the reflection that stood looking back at me. I reached for the red crinoline, stepping into it, taking the time to check from behind that it was just long enough to cover the ruffles of the panties. Barely. Then I strapped on the red heels that I knew I wouldn't be able to fasten once I was laced up in the corset that accompanied the ensemble. Once again I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror, half dressed and topless. I was very pleased with the results. A crazy thought came to me; I quickly grabbed my phone before I lost my nerve and changed my mind. I turned my back to the mirror and bent over just enough for the ruffles on the panties to show as well as the arc of my bare back. I looked back at myself and snapped the shot. When I checked the picture it was just what I had hoped it would be: mostly an ass shot, my feet crossed at the ankles, and me smirking devilishly at the camera. Although you couldn't see the "girls", I was obviously topless, and I knew this image would be perfect to send to Edward as a reminder of the night's festivities. I chuckled a tad maniacally and finished getting ready. The night was definitely looking more and more like a night to remember and less like a night to be dreaded.

**~oOo~**

I walked through the gates of the Cullen Mansion, the place would have been creepy in the daylight with all this shit everywhere, but add to the fact that it was pitch black, save for the sliver of a moon, and I was having serious creeper vibes. I was obviously on edge because I screamed and jumped back when I heard, "Hey, there, Lill' Bo Peep," grumbled in the dark beside the front door. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the even darker shadows the voice had come from. Thankfully he, whoever the hell "he" was, chose to step out from where he was veiled. It was one of the largest men I had ever seen, and he was rather lacking in clothing. From what I could tell he had on a pair of cut-off jeans and nothing else. Well, except for a pair of wolf ears and a ridiculous furry tail that was somehow attached to his ass. And muscles. Rolling hills of muscles stretched over his very overly built form. "I'd ask where you're sheep are, but I probably ate them all already. You wanna be next?"

_Ew._ My instincts and my smart mouth kick in at the same time and I took a step back as he took one towards me.

"It's_ Dorothy _from the Wizard of Oz, asstard, and you had best tuck your tail back between your legs before I rip it off."

"Ooooh, a feisty one. Okay, missy. No need to get physical, I was just playing the role of the Big Bad Wolf, that's all. What's your name, Dorothy?"

"My momma taught me to never talk to strangers, so I'm afraid I can't give you that information. Dorothy's all you're gonna get outta me. Are those.... jorts you're wearing?"

"Huh? What-- uh, well, my wife kinda picked out our costumes. I just wore what she told me to." His admission was much quieter and held much less bravado than his initial attempt to hold a conversation. He almost sounded human.

Just then another figure stepped in the doorway, but had come from within the home.

"There you are, Jakey! I've been looking for you everywhere! What are you doing out here alone in the dark? Looking for prey?" She voice was melodic and kindhearted, not in any way threatening. She was backlit by what little light streamed from inside the door. Dressed in a sexy Little Red Riding Hood outfit, it would be quite obvious that these two were together, even if a room separated them.

"Oh, hey baby, I was just talking to, uh, Dorothy here. She just got here and looked a little lost. I was about to point her in Alice's direction."

"I have a feeling from the look on her face that you were harassing our guest of honor, Jakey. Alice wouldn't like it if she thought you'd given her Bella a hard time. I am right, aren't I? You're Bella Swan?"

I had no clue how this stunning woman knew who I was, but I found myself confirming her suspicions.

"I figured you must be. You were one of the only people here I didn't recognize and I never forget a face. I'm Kat. Kat Black, and this is my hunk of a hubby, Jacob. It's nice to finally meet you Bella!"

They both shook my hand and Kat led me in the house, Jake following closely behind. Kat commented on my basket with the little stuffed Toto dog. It was also conveniently holding my iPhone, Mace, and touch up lipstick. Hers had a red and white gingham napkin hanging from the rim.

"Your costume is adorable, Bella! Where did you find it?"

"Well, it's something I actually already had."

"Well, it's perfect, and funny enough, there's a lion here, already!" Her laugh was warm and sincere.

About that time I heard a squeal of delight that I would recognize anywhere, followed by the nickname Alice had started calling me by. She was ideally dressed as a sexy lady bug;, compete with gauzy wings and bouncing, fuzzy antennae. It might have even been a cute costume if not for the pleather bustier/corset top and red thigh-highs with lady bug spots on them. This was not a costume one used "cute" to describe. "BB! You're finally here! I've been waiting forever for you to get here! Oh, my! Look at you, you little vixen! What are you wearing?" She pulled me into a tight hug and whispered into my ear, "Oh, shit, Bella, you have no idea how perfect your costume is! Just wait!" When she let me go she looped an arm through one of mine and Kat did the same to the arm clutching the basket. They led me through the crowded home, crammed both with real, breathing bodies and fake, dead ones, too. As I scanned the darkened rooms we passed through I wasn't sure which ones creeped me out more.

The girls paused in front of a large staircase. Sitting a few steps up was a grown ass man in blue tights, red Calvin Klein's, and a too tight long sleeved shirt with a hand painted Super Man logo painted across his chest. The whole ensemble was complete with a flowing red cape and worn tennis shoes. He looked like a giant kid. A giant kid on steroids! Hell, I'd thought Kat's husband Jake was big! This guy was huge! And he was still sitting down!

"Well, well, well, who do we have here? Little Debbie? What kinda goodies do you have for us in your basket, huh?" His smug smirk pissed me off right away, but I knew how to handle pricks like him. You know the type, the ones who think they are God's gift to all human kind. I gave it as good as he did.

"I can assure you, Captain Douche Bag, that there's not a single goodie in my basket for _you_. But judging from the looks of what you've got tucked away there in your little banana hammock, I'd say you had a Swiss Cake Roll stuffed down there. And things seem to be going a little soft and mushy. That's gotta be uncomfortable."

"Why don't you come on over here and have a seat in my lap and find out exactly what I've got stuffed in here. I think you might be surprised by how unmushy it is." He patted his lap welcomingly and seemed so proud of himself. I couldn't decide if he was special ed or drunk. Maybe both?

"Unmushy? Really? Did you think of that one all by yourself, big guy?"

"Yeah, I did, and I have a Master's degree!"

"Pffft! In _what_, making an ass of yourself?"

Alice stepped in just then, "Okay you two, that's enough, Emmett. Back off my girl, Bella. She's may look soft, but she's got razor sharp teeth and I have it on good authority that she can skewer a testicle with a Jimmy Choo faster than you can say 'meat on a stick'! Bella Swan, this is my asshole of a brother, Emmett. Emmett, this is Bella Swan, my dear friend and Masen's teacher/piano tutor." Emmett, aka the new bane of my existence, got this look in his eye that scared me a little, not because I was scared of_ him_, but because I was scared of what he _knew_. He just had that "cat just ate the canary" look.

"_Ahhhhh!_ So _this_ is the woman who has stolen the heart of the Cullen heir. I can see why, she's delicious, and she's the heiress to the Little Debbie billions! Any nine year old would love her!" I breathed a little easier when he mentioned nine year old. For a second I thought he meant Edward.

"I already told you, Wonder Bread, I'm Dorothy. If that's too much for your pea brain to manage just call me Bella. Or, you know, don't talk to me at all. It's all the same to me. I think I might prefer the latter, actually." Okay, I may have been a little tough on the guy, meeting him for the first time and all, but I _liked_ him! I could really enjoy some quality smack talk with this one!

Emmett stood then, unfolding his massive form. I leaned back out of respect for the sheer mass that stood before me. He matched my movement, and without having to make a step, he caught me up in his gargantuan gorilla like arms and crushed me to him. The breath was knocked from my chest, both from the surprise of the gesture and the force of it.

"Ahhhh, Bellerina! I really hope you stick around! I have a feeling things could get interesting with you in the mix. Welcome to the fold! Any friend of the Troll's is a friend of us all!"

I heard a throat clear over Emmett's shoulder. He released me from his vise grip and moved to look up the stairs behind him. She was stunning, and deadly, at least that's the vibe I got from the creature lilting down towards us. The love and admiration in Emmett's voice was evident when he spoke, "Ahhh, my Queen!"

The Queen of Hearts. Her blonde hair plied high on her head and encased in a crown. Her costume was every inch appropriate for her. A take on Alice in Wonderland's Queen of Hearts, she wore a gown that was a study in contradiction. Regal, yet sexy. Short in the front, but it transitioned to a long flowing train in the back. The bodice was a black bustier trimmed in white ruffles and punctuated by three vertical blood red hearts. The white collar that stood at attention at the nape of her neck looked sharp enough to slice a jugular. As did the glare she was aiming directly at-- me? _Bitch_. What had I done to her? Then I realized that while I may no longer be crushed in Emmett's embrace, his hand was still perched across my shoulders in an obviously affectionate gesture.

_Maybe _that's_ why, Bella. _Her_ man has _his _arm around _you_!_

I shrugged off Emmett's tree trunk of an appendage and he went straight to her. After a passionate display of lips smacking and obvious territory marking on both their parts, Emmett guided his queen down to where we stood. I had been so engrossed in the woman in front of me that I hadn't realized that we'd been joined by another costumed form. I did a double take at the bright blue and yellow costume-- complete with face mask, but Emmett's booming voice drew me back to them.

"Bella Swan, this is the queen of my heart, Rosalie Cullen, my wife. Rosie, this is RainbowSprite's bestie, Bella. She's also Masen's teach, baby. Small world, huh?"

Rose didn't seem impressed or relieved. But she did smile and extend her hand. "Oh. Bella! Alice has told us about you. In fact, she speaks quite highly of you. It's nice to finally meet you. I hope you enjoy the party and that we get a chance to talk before the night's over!" She turned to her husband and grinned, "You ready to greet the guests, Super Man?"

"Hell, yeah! Let's get this party started!"

With that they started to move on. As they brushed past us Emmett leaned down and whispered, "Hey, I hear the Cowardly Lion's around here. Maybe you could use some of the goodies in your basket and make him roar."

"Thanks for the tip, Stupor Man, maybe I will. You'll hear him if I do, believe me you will." I had no idea who this lion was, but he'd apparently made an impression on everyone.

Rose hauled off and punched him in the chest. "Ow, Rosie! What was that for?"

"Shut it, doofus. She wouldn't touch that 'pussy' with a ten foot poll. Don't listen to him, Bella, he's an ass sometimes. Nice costume, by the way. It suits you."

"Thanks, Rosalie. Yours is-wow, perfect. I'm sure we'll get a chance to talk. If not tonight then sometime." I smiled warmly at her, hoping to use some of my dazzling people skills on her, but she was already gone. Emmett in tow.

Alice bouncing next to me forced me to tear my gaze from the swaying train of Rose's gown to the now quartet next to me. Still feeling feisty from my encounter with the Come Back Kid, I looked at the bizarre costume that stood before me. It was then that I recognized the strong jaw line. Jasper.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be, Jazz? That mask is kinda creeping me out."

He looked physically wounded. As did Jake for some odd reason. His hand came up to cover his bare chest over his heart, "You don't know who Wolverine is?"

"Don't be ridiculous, of course I do. I'm just more familiar with the hunky Hugh Jackman version, that's all. What's with the yellow and blue? How many Crayola crayons had to die for that get up?"

"You just don't appreciate classic comic literature, Bells. You need to respect the old school comics. I am so gonna show you the ropes. Wait until you see my collection of mint condition, never been touched by human hands, first edition Batman comics!"

"Whoa, there, Wolfie, your geek is hanging out! Wait, I guess in that getup you proudly flying that geek flag, tonight, aren't you?"

"Well, that's some costume you've got on yourself, B! I can think of a few guys who'd love to get lost in those ruffles.... At least I'm not the one flaunting all my goodies for the boys!"

"I wouldn't be so quick to say that, Jazz. You are the one in the brightly colored unitard." I guess he'd had enough playful banter, because he turned and walked off without another word. "Oh, come on! I'm only kidding, Jazzy! Don't walk away mad! I hate to see you go, but I sure love to watch you leave!" And I let out a shrill wolf whistle. He flipped me off with a middle razor, and then just before he left the room, he looked back over his shoulder and winked at me and yelled across the room, "I hear there's a king of the jungle around here somewhere. Maybe he can help you find the Wizard." And with that he was gone. Confused, I looked at Alice and asked, "Who's this lion, and why does everyone think I should find it?" She just shrugged and said something about how we had coordinating costumes, maybe that's why?

Kat and Jake went off in search of the Vampire Bites, Alice's signature mixed drink, while Allie showed me the house and all the work she and the family had been doing. I admired all the effort, but it still seemed like a hell of a lot of work for one party. Now Christmas? That was a holiday I could get behind! I decorated like a mofo for that holiday! I loved it. It was my favorite. And Halloween was the anti-holiday. Okay, if I had to honest I'd say that I hate Halloween because it's too dark. I don't like the glamorization of death and darkness. But above all else, it reminded me of Reese. She never liked it either. She was young, and she would get so scared. She'd sleep with me for the week before and after Halloween. Only returning to her bed- all of two feet from mine- when I promised she could come back if she had a bad dream. I guess that always stayed with me, she affected a lot of decisions and choices in my lifetime. My opinions about this dismal non-holiday were no exception.

Alice left me alone for a minute saying that I should try find Edward, but refusing to tell me what he was dressed as. Said it would be more fun that way. The troll. So I set off wandering around Death's wonderland. I saw the Grim Reapers we had quite literally searched all over Hell and back for. Kat had done an amazing job, they looked crazy realistic. They lit up and everything. Somehow I found myself outside in the back yard in my aimless wanderings.

It was a beautiful night. The sky was perfect, tough not at all clear. The little crescent of a moon lit the sky just enough that you could see the clouds that feathered the night. The distant stars resembled pinpricks in a tapestry. The Cullen's home was right on the water, sitting up on the dunes, it watched over the waves as they swelled and licked the shore, only to retreat into the abyss they came from. I loved the ocean. I loved that it felt as if the sea was almost breathing when it sucked in a wave only to expel it back out again. This is where I came when I had a hard time breathing. Even in Forks. I'd escape to First Beach to stand on the cold shores and breathe in the sea mist in time to the breathing of the waves. I stood there in the Cullen's' yard for who knows how long- just breathing. It dawned on me that I was probably being rude and avoiding the party, so I made my way back to the throngs of guests and thumping music.

I decided to seek out the much acclaimed Vampire Bites, and started my search, hoping to run into someone I knew along the way. I must have made a wrong turn somewhere, because I ended up in the laundry room. I turned to leave and ran head long into a plush fuzzy form. Before me stood the most ridiculous costume I had ever laid eyes on- and I'd seen a grown ass man in tights and Clavin's not to mention one in a unitard. The mascot-like costume was complete with the biggest head I had ever seen.

_This has been one hell of a night. I've apparently just found the the lion everyone keeps telling me about. Who the fuck would wear that hideous thing? _

It had to be a man in there. No woman would be caught dead in something like that. At least I hoped not. The silence was awkward and uncomfortable. I excused myself and tried to step around him, er-- it. But it matched my step. We did the side-step-dance complete with nervous laughter. I finally managed to squeeze past it, when I had a realization that it was indeed the _King_ of the jungle. Because this creep had an erection to rival an elephant, and he had pressed it against me! _Ew! _ A muffled moan escaped from inside his plush lion's mask. Just as I was about to knee the perv in his plushy crotch and see if his family jewels were stuffed or real, I heard another grumble deep within the mask.

_"Bella..."_

I _knew_ that voice. Intimately. This was Edward. I had no doubt. I decided to test my theory a little. Besides, I was 99.9% positive this was the man I loved. I had yet to see him that night, and no wonder considering this monstrosity. I wondered, for a second, how the hell whoever talked him into wearing it did so.

"Yeah. Do I know you? I can't tell with all that fur and the giant lion bobble head."

The beast just nodded. Then it really did look like a bobble head. This was a little weird, even for me. I wasn't about to fondle and grope a cartoon character unless I was fucking sure it was Edward in there and not some perv. My luck- it would be Spewton! I fought back my reflex to gag at the thought of that scum.

"Is that you, Edward? And if it is, you're gonna have to give me more confirmation that it is than a head bobble. I don't go dealing out my goodies to just any goober dressed like a collegiate mascot!"

His familiar, albeit distorted voice came back at me, "Yeah, Bella, its Edward."

"Okay, then _prove_ it to me. Tell me something only Edward would know."

His giant furry paws wrapped around my waist and lifted me to sit on the washer behind me, then he lifted the mask just enough that I could hear him a little clearer. He uttered two words: "_Sky Dancer._" My vibe. The name I had for my vibrator, or buzz buzz as he'd referred to it a few times. But he'd never called it by its actual _name_. Yeah, this was definitely Edward. He pushed up the mask to rest on the top of his head like a giant hat. I melted the moment I saw his eyes. Those green emeralds staring down at me made my insides turn to goo. His gaze was far from gentle, though. I knew that look. I loved that look. It had been a long time since I'd seen it this intense, though.

"Bella, you're killing me in this outfit! What the fuck were you thinking! I didn't even know you were coming tonight!"

"What? Alice didn't tell you that she'd invited me? She practically commanded me to attend! I can't believe that she didn't tell you that I'd be here! She set us up! She is such a little-- TROLL!"

"Bella. Are you telling me that you knew that I'd be here tonight?"

"Of course I did, hon. She's your sister;, this is your parent's home... why wouldn't you be here?"

"And you dressed like _this_?"

"Well, yeah. Is that a bad thing, baby? I thought you liked the way I look." I purposefully bit my bottom lip, knowing what it did to him.

"Ughh.... Bella, that was very- mean. You are a fucking meany. Now what the hell am I supposed to do with these?" He held up his furry mittened hands. I took them in my own palms and pressed them firmly to my breasts.

"I don't know.... Paw me?"

The paws were off in a flash and hands back where I had placed them. I moaned loudly at the sensation of his warm hands cupping me through the thin cotton of my top.

"Uh, Edward. I've missed this. More. Please?"

"Fuck, Bella, you aren't wearing a bra!"

He drew hand up along the top and fingered the ruffle at the top. A single finger dipped down inside the material. I sucked in a hiss when I felt his skin make contact with my own. I wanted to tell him I didn't need one with a corset, but couldn't form the words at the moment.

"More?" Was his only question. His eyes never left mine.

"Please, more." I was begging, and I didn't care. It seemed like forever since that stupid sexbargo had started, and if he was willing to have a lapse in judgment, then who the hell was I to stop him. Well, obviously no one. I wanted to tease him. Feel him, but he was swimming in yards of tacky yellow fake fur. I settled for removing the ridiculous head and chucked it unceremoniously to the floor. My hands combed through his hair, slightly damp from being in the mask.

"That's not sweat;, I took a shower right before the party, thinking it would help keep me cool. I'm not gross. I swear."

"I couldn't care less, get over here." I pulled him closer, and as our mouths met, his grip on me firmed, teasing the peaks to tighten and respond to his touch. I couldn't help the cry that escaped. I scooted closer to him and the edge of the washer. My legs wrapped around him without me even thinking about what I was doing. I just wanted to be as close to him as I could get. Our hips met, aligning perfectly. It was his turn to groan, followed by a hiss as I moved against him to create the friction my body was craving. His hands grasped my ass, stilling my movements. He panted into my kisses, "Bella.... What do you think you're doing?"

"Making out with my boyfriend. What's it look like to you?"

"It looks like you're about to start something you can't finish."

"Says who? Just kiss me, Edward. Do be such a _cowardly lion_."

He kissed me hard. Pulling my hips closer to his, grinding against me as he did.

I was frustrated. The only part of his flesh that was exposed were his hands, head and neck. I desperately wanted to feel all of him, but settled for the bits of flesh I could feel. I licked and kissed every inch of his neck as his hands explored my legs, feeling the silk of the stockings beneath his fingertips, taking time to finger the bows perched at my thighs. His hands moved back to my hips as we writhed and panted against each other. His hands registered what he was feeling before his mind did. I knew it the second his brain caught up with his hands. His grip tightened on my ass and he moaned, "Ruffles, Bella? You have ruffles on your ass?"

"Uh, huh. They're blue." He crushed me to him, his arms encircling me fully. His face buried in the curls at my neck.

"Damn, Bella! You _are_ trying to kill me, aren't you?" I wrapped my arms around his head and shoulders, our passion turned to tenderness.

"No, baby, I'm not trying to kill you. I need you."

He pulled pack just enough to look at me. "I need you, too."

"Then _show_ me." I pressed my mouth to his again, teasing him with my tongue, trying to get back to where we were. I knew he was on the same page when he groaned and leaned his head back for me to reach his neck better. Once again his hands were cupping my breasts, and he deftly pulled the top down to expose the tender flesh. I gasped as the cool air stung. His hand moved to cover and warm. I guided his mouth to where his hand laid, and he willingly obliged. The feel of his lips and tongue as they glided over the swell of my breast had me panting again, so much so that I didn't hear when we had gained aan audience. We both jumped when we heard the sound of a throat clear. Edward's hand moved to shield my bare skin, and then he pulled me to his chest protectively. The light from the hall was nearly blocked by the form in the doorway. I couldn't recognize who it was from the costume that was a blur of grays in the silhouette.

"Well, well, well.... What have we here? Don't stop on my account." The voice was maniacal, and not at all friendly.

"What the fuck do you want, J. There's nothing to see here."

"I beg to differ. I think there's plenty to see, but I know when I'm not wanted. Some people these days still think three's a crowd, though I don't see their point at all. What do you two think?"

"I think you need to take you pervert self and get the fuck out like Edward told you to."

"Ahhh, a feisty one, huh? Well, Dorothy, just remember if he gets to be too predictable for you, just click your heels together three times and say 'There's no place like home!' Then come find a real man." I could feel Edward's heart racing in his chest. He was fuming.

"Like you have any clue what it takes to make a real man, you jackass! You have exactly three seconds to back the fuck off and get off the premises before I call the cops. You know damn well you aren't welcome here. Three...," James made no attempt to move, pissing Edward off even more. "You had BEST start backtracking, dumb fuck, or do you need help? I'm sure my brothers would love the chance to escort your sorry sack of shit out of here! TWO...!"

The faceless form turned and stalked away. Looking back over his shoulder one last time before he slipped out of sight. Edward mumbled something angrily under his breath as he straightened my top, covering me, and then pressed a sweet kiss to my forehead. He took a deep breath and asked, "You okay, hon? That guy's a scary bastard. Always has been."

"Who is he? I didn't recognize him."

"That's James. James Huntington. He's a pecker head. Just try to forget about him, we all try to."

Edward helped me down off the washer and started smoothing my costume. He pulled me into a protective hug before helped me sneak into the closest bathroom to fix my rumpled hair and check my makeup. I tried to ask him why James would even be at the party if they all felt so strongly about him. Edward just shrugged and figured he'd crashed it. He once again asked that I try to forget about him. Then he asked that I stay kinda close to him for the rest of the night. I agreed, but I didn't fully understand.

The rest of the night passed without much other drama. Well, Emmett did get his head stuck in an empty shadow box frame. He was wearing it on his head like a crown, declaring himself Rose's king of hearts. The box somehow slipped down around his neck and he couldn't get it off again. The guys ended up getting some bolt cutters and cutting it off of him. It was hilarious, and took the edge off from earlier. We never saw James anymore that night, but Edward insisted on walking me to my car and then following me home. He walked me all the way in the house, and for a minute I thought the sexbargo would meet its untimely demise. But no. Edward was a gentleman. He did stay the night as he often did, but nothing more passed between us other than sweet nothings and a few passionate kisses. I drifted off to sleep reminding myself that I needed to text that picture to Edward the next day. The grin on my face a reflection of the happiness that was all due to the man I was snuggled against. I'd met his family, well- most of them, and survived. They didn't have any clue who I was, but I had survived, and I had a feeling that this Ride was about to get even wilder.

**~oOo~**

**A/N: ** Special thanks to my pre-reader, **BQOTFU**, who makes sure that this jumble of words makes sense, XOXOXO.

**Barburella**, that Brazilian was for you!

Lastly: Visit The Ride of You Life's new online home!!! http// the-ride-of-your-life.

Thank you for reading! I love you all!


	12. Going Public and Getting Wild

_**A/N:**__ Our betas have a way of encouraging us to do those things we swear we'd never do. Its called encouraging, or maybe its just called pushy. Either way, I assure you I do things at the request of my betas that no one else could get me to do. Thus the second part of this chapter. I'm not going to spoil it for you, but I _will _say that the citrusy goodness in this chapter is all for my Darth Beta, __**DizzyGrl28**__. She requested it, and even after I flat refused, she still got it. I hope she's fracken happy. ;)_

_Thanks to __**TwilightMundi**__, my Grammar Guru Beta/ Nazi Beta who sliced and diced this monster chapter. I have no clue why you put up with me and my pathetic errors, but thank you from the bottom of my heart._

_Playlist: "I Want You" by Kings of Leon, "Nothin' But A Good Time" by Poison, "Next Go Round" by Nickelback, "S.E.X." by Nickelback, "Ride It" by Jay Sean_

_**Disclaimer:**__ Twilight and all things related belong to the Queen of the Disco Ball Vamps, S. Meyer. The plot, Mini Me, and Mr. Darcy are all mine, though. ENJOY!_

~oOo~

Ch12- Going Public and Getting Wild

**EPOV**

Everything was going pretty smoothly. I'm not sure it could have been any better. Bella and I were getting along great, we'd settled into a comfortable routine. It was the middle of November, and the deadline to include our families in our little secret was quickly approaching. We weren't so much concerned that we wouldn't be accepted, but more that this perfect little cocoon of paradise that we had created would tumble around us if we changed the equation that made it all possible. Bella had already told her mom that she was seeing someone, and from what we'd discussed, it was clear that her mom and step-dad were eager to meet me. The next step was to inform my family. It was obvious to them that something was different in my life, and one Friday night, as Bella and I lay in bed, our naked bodies pressed against one another, I listened as her heart returned to its normal steady rhythm and her breathing calmed. The sound of her voice broke through the quiet dark around us.

"Baby?"

"Yes, Love?"

"We need to tell your family. I think...." Her voice trailed off as she carefully picked her words.

"You _think _we need to, or you know, because I don't want you to feel backed into a corner over this." My fingers combed through her hair, getting snared in the tangles I had put there.

"No, I _know_ I'm ready to let them know. I'm tired of trying to keep us a secret any longer. What do you think?"

What did I think? I fucking thought it was great! I was just stunned that she chose this moment of post coital bliss to discuss officially meeting my parents and brother. Being nervous over how Bella would react to my Adams Family-esque clan. She'd already met Em at the Halloween party; she more than proved that she could hold her own with him. I knew Mom and Dad would love her, but these weren't exactly the mental images I wanted just after ravishing the woman I loved.

"Um, well, I think that's great, hon. When did you want to do this?"

"The sooner the better. Next weekend, maybe? We'd need to talk to Masen first, right? Or how do you think it'd be best to handle that?"

"I'll talk to Masen, but I don't want to make a big deal out of it. I mean, it is a big deal, but if we're cool then he'll follow our lead. He already adores you; I can't imagine him being uncool with this. In fact, I'm gonna tell him later this morning when he wakes up -. That way he has tonight and tomorrow to get used to the idea before heading back to school. I also think that it'd be best if I just told my family that I'm seeing someone and that I'd like them to meet her, uh- you. That okay? It'll be less painful for you, too."

"I'm a big girl, Edward, but I get what you mean. Less hype and drama. I'm all for less drama. When should we do dinner then, and where?"

"I can tell you right now, when I confirm what those four have been suspecting, Esme is going to want you to come to the family dinner on Sunday. This Sunday. Are you up for that?"

"Pffft! Of course, please! I survived the Troll and won her over, and I beat Emmett into submission at Allie's party. I can handle anything your family throws at me."

"You did great at the party, baby, but you haven't seen Emmett at full throttle yet. He can be a bit much. But I'll be there to pound the shit out of him if he gets too out of line."

"I'm not worried about your brother. Before the night is over I'll have him eating out of my hand. From what I've seen and what you, Alice, Jazz and even Mini have told me about him, Em's just a set of walking bagpipes. Believe me, I can blow just as hard as he can."

"I know how well you can blow, sweetheart." Bella misinterpreted my statement and slowly began to make her way down my body, "Wait, that's not exactly what I meant. But -- whoa. If you wanna show me, that's fine by me...."

That was the end of our conversation for the night. We spent the rest of our time together reminding one another of our varied talents.

**~oOo~**

The next morning, I was home by the time Mini Me woke up. He went about his usual Saturday morning routine: he shuffled to the kitchen to assemble his bowl of Captain Crunch and then moved to the living room floor where he settled in for a few rounds of his favorite Saturday morning cartoons . The kid rarely watched T.V. so I didn't mind that he watched a few hours a week of "brain rot," as his grandfather referred to it. I let him spend his morning with the likes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Scooby-Doo, and Ms. Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. I joined him on the floor for a little mindless male bonding. When he'd had his fill I asked if he was up to a little wave action.

"Hey, munchkin, wanna hit the beach for a while? I can get the boards out and ready, not to mention that you should probably get a few more uses out of that wetsuit before you outgrow it. Whatcha say?"

"Yeah, Dad, sounds great. Just give me a minute, okay?"

"Sure, take your time. I'll head down to the garage to get the boards and the wax. Grab some towels on your way out."

"Yeah. Cool."

This was nothing new. We spent at least some part of each weekend in the water or on the sand. Just one of the perks of beach condo living. My hopes were to get him out in the water and talk to him between waves. The waves weren't great, but we'd be able to catch a few, and I'd get the chance to talk. Masen's small form crested the dunes as he ran towards where I'd laid our boards and started scraping them down. His was all prepped for the wax and he took over from there. I started in on mine. We worked in silence for a while, hunched over our boards. Then, when everything was good and waxed, we both headed into the surf. To his credit, he never commented on the cool temp of the water or how uncomfortable it was bound to be once we got all the way in it. This was just another sign to me that the little boy I was raising was growing into a young man faster than I'd ever expected. It also reminded me that he deserved a mother figure in his life to help him grow in tenderness equally as much as he needed my influence to show him how to grow to be a man. That fact strengthened my resolve to tell him about Bella, and that this was the right thing to do.

Bella. I wondered what she was up to. Was she at the beach too? Would she be sunning on her roof deck? Doing laundry? Maybe even washing her bikes down... each thought conjured an image of the woman, and I felt my body respond despite the waist deep cold water. I nodded toward the waves and hopped up onto my board, "Let's do this." My man-child simply replied, "Coolio."

Masen lay flat on his board and reached out for a fist bump before paddling out into deeper water. We caught a few good ones. I took the opportunity to sit back and watch my son surf. He'd improved so much this past summer. It helped that he had a growth spurt and that we'd spent almost every free moment in the water; even if the waves had been flat we'd spent hours closer to shore on the skim boards hydroplaning in the shallows. Because of it, his balance and confidence had really taken off. I was damn proud of the boy before me in more ways than I could count.

Something else occurred to me. I hadn't yet talked to him about his mom moving to live nearby. I'd been holding off telling him, hoping and praying that I'd get a call from Jess saying that she'd changed her mind. No such fucking luck. Just the opposite, she'd called last week. I let the call go to voicemail, and when I checked the message later she confirmed that she'd be here over Christmas break to look for places to live and a part-time job to supplement her income. I was glad I hadn't answered; she actually had the audacity to suggest that she stay with Masen and me while she was here. Uh, yeah, right. Not gonna happen. _Ever._ I didn't give a fuck if she was trying to save money, she wasn't staying under my roof ever again. Period. I was also reminded that I'd yet to tell Bella. That small oversight was probably worse than not telling Mini, but between keeping us a secret, the impending meeting between her and the rest of the family, and all the work we had down at Eclipse, it simply slipped my mind. I resolved as my son paddled back to my side that I'd tell her this week. Or maybe next week. But definitely by the following week. Yeah, so maybe I was avoiding that conversation.

"Did you see that last one, Dad? It was huge!"

"Yeah, dude, I did, and you killed it! Rode it all the way in! You may have the makings of a pro surfer, MM!" He paddled up along side of me and I reached out to tousle his hair playfully.

"No way! The pros have all surfed the major shores by the time they're my age. This is just a hobby, anyways. Music is my thing."

"I know that. Speaking of which, how's school?"

"Fine, good, the usual. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. Hey, I wanted to talk to you about a few things while it's just us. You down?"

"You mean while Uncle Em isn't around? Sure, Dad."

"Yeah, I love that man, but...."

"He's an ass."

"Masen!"

"What? He _is_, and I've heard you call him a lot worse."

"True on both counts, but he is your uncle, and you shouldn't talk that way. Remember what Grandma Esme said about using foul language? Unless you have no desire to see your eighteenth birthday, I suggest you refrain from using those kinds of words."

"Fine. Can I just call him a dumb donkey or a mule? It means the same thing, but I'm not swearing."

"Whatever. Just don't be disrespectful."

"Yes, sir!" We bobbed on the surface of the water. The tide was going out, and we probably wouldn't see many more surf-able waves that morning. "What else did you want to talk to me about?"

It was now or never. I'd always been honest with him, and the straight forward approach worked best. I dove straight in.

"Well, I really wanted to talk to you about Miss B."

"Okay...."

"Masen, Bella and I are seeing one another. We've been dating for a few months now, and we really like each other. I thought it was time you know. I can answer any questions you might have, but it's important that you know that this changes nothing between you two; everything will continue as it has as far as your lessons and school. The only thing that might change is that we'd all spend more time together."

I was a little confused when my son didn't make any comment at all. None. Zip, zilch, zero. I was beginning to think telling him was a _bad_ idea, "Masen? You okay, man? You're awfully quiet over there."

He looked up out to the shore ahead of us. Thinking.

"You're seeing Miss B?"

"Yes."

"And she'll still be my teacher and tutor?"

"Yes."

"And I'll get to see her more?"

"Probably, yes."

"Cool."

"That's it? 'Cool?' That's the only thing you have to say about the situation?"

"What else should I say?"

"You don't have any questions?" He thought about this for a moment.

"Well.... Does anyone else know? Besides you two and me? Is this a secret?" Damn, the kid was smart.

"Um, Aunt Alice and Uncle Jazz know. I'm going to tell everyone else sometime this week."

"What about school? Should I be talking about this in school?"

"I wouldn't suggest it. It's not really a secret, but the other kids might give you a hard time if you talk about it. Besides, it's not your business to tell. This is between Miss B and me, and if she wants people at school to know then she'll tell them, okay?"

"Okay. Sounds cool. Can she come over for dinner tonight?"

And with that my son knew about my relationship with his teacher. I could only hope things went that smoothly when I informed the other members of my family. Something told me I didn't have that much luck, and things would probably go much differently. At least with one member in particular.

"Okay, sure. We can invite Bella over for dinner if you'd like." That was all the prompting my son needed. He launched into planning the night's menu like he was Martha Stewart's bastard child. He started in for the beach; surfing forgotten. Once we got back on dry land we toweled off and headed towards the condo.

"Yeah! So, what are we gonna make for her? We know she likes spaghetti, but we have that all the time. What about grilling some steaks, or maybe shrimp on the barbi?" He laughed at his own joke, I smiled at his attempt at an Aussie accent, and we roughhoused on the way back; I'd try to step on the leash of his board and trip him up, he'd jump out of the way and try to do the same to mine. We were laughing pretty hard by the time we made it up the path through the dunes to the complex. "So, what do ya think?" That kid had a one track mind when he wanted to.

"I think you'd be better off with walking lessons than piano lessons," I stepped on his leash and he faltered a little before falling back into step. "Walk much, MM?"

He rammed the side of his whole body into mine unsuccessfully trying to knock me over, "Shut it, Dad. You know I was talking about dinner, and cut that out!"

"Okay, fine. Bella can come over and we can have anything you want for dinner, but I think we should work on getting some lunch first." I took a leap of faith and decided to give him all the news at once. Hell, he'd taken the info about Bella so well, maybe he'd do the same with the bomb about Jessica.

"Masen, there's something else you should know. Your mom called. She wants to see you."

"Yeah? Um, okay...- but not tonight, right?"

"What?" I was confused, "Wait, no, not tonight, big guy. Actually, she's moving back and she wanted to see you when she's here at Christmas time getting things settled. Would you be up for that?" I watched my son's face carefully as he considered his answer. He hadn't seen Jess much these past few years. Once or twice a year at best, but even less recently. I could almost hear his brain working.

"Can I think about it, Dad? I mean I probably will see her, but- I don't know."

"Sure, son. I understand. It's your call, and I'll back up any decision you make. Just know that I'm here for you to talk to. About anything, okay?"

"Sure, old man. I know that. Now, how about that lunch?"

"Fine, let's get these boards put away and then head upstairs. Wanna do simple? What about sub sandwiches?"

"Cool. Then we can call Miss B about dinner! Hey, could she bring Mr. D. with her?" Great... now the Beast was going to be violating me on my turf, too.

"Let's work on lunch first, okay. If Bella says it's okay, then Darcy can come over." I begrudgingly conceded to the last part.

Mini's fist punched the air, "Yeah! I can take him down to the beach and play Frisbee with him!" Masen suddenly got quiet. "Um, Dad? I won't have to watch you and Miss B make out or anything, will I? 'Cause that's just nasty."

Ah, my son, the romantic.

**~oOo~ **

After lunch I let Masen call Bella and invite her to dinner. He was adorable as he asked her what she'd like to have. He gave her a few options and I heard them decide on a "surf and turf" theme. I was hoping that was something Bella called it and he'd just repeated, otherwise I was close to positive that he was indeed Martha's bastard child. He sure as hell didn't learn that shit from his old man! The phone was passed to me, and Bella and I talked for a moment. We decided on a time: five-thirty. I made a list of what I'd need to run to the store for, and she double checked that it was okay to bring Darcy. I told her as long as he knew that this was _my_ crib, and that I was Alpha male here. Bella wanted to know if I intended to stick my nose in his crotch to show him who's boss. I told her no way, but that I'd be happy to do that to her later that night if she stuck around long enough.

We had a lazy Saturday waiting for Bella to arrive later that evening. I decided to get everything out in the open and called my parents. I simply told them that I'd been seeing someone lately and I'd like them to meet her sometime soon. Mom didn't disappoint. Within ten minutes she had the general story of how we met, Bella's stats, and had strong armed me into bringing her to the Cullen Family Sunday dinner the next night. I said we would be there and I could hear Esme's joy through the phone. Next I considered whether I should call my brother. I decided it never hurt to lay a little smack down. I'd let him know I was bringing someone to dinner the next night, and warn him that if he didn't behave himself he'd be sucking everything he ever ate in the future through a fucking straw. The phone rang so many times I almost hung up and forgot the whole thing. When Emmett answered the phone he seemed distracted and out of breath.

"Hello?"

"Hey, there bro, it's just me, not one of your 1-900 calls you work in your spare time, so you can cut the breathy shit."

"Shut it, Eddie Erotica, I was working out when I heard the phone ring. I thought you might be Rose calling, otherwise I wouldn't have rushed to the phone. What's doing with you?"

"Eh, nothing really. Mini and I caught a few waves this morning, and now we're just hanging. Thought I'd call your place, see what you're up to."

"Like I said, working out. I was about to head down to run on the beach, wanna join me?"

"No, thanks. I have some errands to run, then Mini and I are making dinner together. Besides, I learned to never run with the likes of you."

"Why, because my fuck awesome body threatens you?"

"More like I'm scared you'll bust me in the knee caps with that third leg of yours and I'll never walk again!"

"Hey, I can't help it if I'm hung like a race horse!"

"Don't insult the equine world, Emmett, and don't flatter yourself. You, minus the Calvin's, plus running equals wrong. Not to mention dangerous. You could put somebody's eye out with that thing! Why do you insist on running commando any way? No, forget that I asked, I really don't wanna know."

"Whatever, you know you're just jealous that I got all the balls in this family. So what_ did _you want, Eddie, if not to discuss my incredibly gifted package?"

"I just called to tell you that I'm bringing someone to dinner tomorrow. She's important to me, so don't pull any of your usual shit. You got it?"

"Whoa! You bringing some fresh meat home to bone?"

"Don't be crass, asshat. I mean it. No messing with my date or I'll be feeding you your equine sized balls through a straw."

"Okay, chill! You gotta lighten up, bro. So, tell me, who is she...? Where did you two meet? Who gets to be on top? Who gets their toes painted by the other first? How long have you two been bumping uglies?"

"Annnd, this conversation is finished. Good-bye, Emmett. Just remember to keep your foot out of your mouth and your head out of your ass, okay? I will not hesitate to fuck you up if you ruin this tomorrow. Please, just be on your best behavior?"

"Uh- yeah, sure, E-Man. See you and your lady friend at dinner tomorrow. I'll try not to get her all hot and bothered simply by being in the same room with all of this." I could picture him making an obscene gesture with his afore mentioned package. It was easy to do; Em was known for his creative gestures and offensive sense of humor.

I reminded my brother that our parents, his wife, his sister, and his nephew would be there at dinner and all eyes-slash-ears would be on him. He assured me again that he'd behave. Why was it that I didn't trust that Goliath of a man as far as I could throw him?

Masen and I left for the grocery soon after that. I hurried to grab the necessary ingredients for tonight. With every item I tossed in the basket I felt as if I was getting closer to Bella. As I stood in line waiting to check out my mind wandered to a favorite new memory of my girl. She was a never ending curve ball. Just when I thought I knew what to expect from her- she did something like, well...

**~oOo~**

It had been a long day last Thursday. It was one of those rare evenings where I had to go back to the garage after putting in a full day there. I never minded being in the shop, it was a kind of catharsis for me to get my hands dirty, to watch a bike come together piece by piece and know that I brought this into being. One might think my favorite moment of building a bike would be when the beast is complete and it roars to life for the first time. That's an awesome moment, but the moment I live and work for is when I look at the bike and it looks like the computer generated image tacked to my project board. That instant when the picture I've had in my mind of this object is before me in 3-D and I can reach out and run my hands over it. Caress it. I'm a very tactile person.

The bike I'd been working on was almost to that point, and it was a very special bike. Like all of our custom rides it had very detailed specs. It was a smaller bike then we normally made, but its new owner was a bit on the smallish side. One of the perks to a custom bike was that all the parts of the bike were tailored to fit you and your needs. I was excited that the owner would see it for the first time very soon, and that thought was what had me back in the shop that night. I would have rather used my night of babysitting to spend the evening with Bella, but I had to get this shit done. I'd been working every minute I could to finish up this particular bike. It was a gift some dude was having made for his woman. Normally I wouldn't agree to this kind of thing, I mean, what if she didn't like it? What if the woman didn't want a bike at all? This just wasn't something you could return or alter very easily. You got what you ordered. End of story. But this dumb fucker had been adamant that his lady would love it. After managing to secretly get her measurements, he was anxious for the bike to be finished as soon as possible. Apparently he sucked at keeping secrets and didn't want to have to keep this one any longer than necessary. So I found myself here, on a Thursday night. A night when I would normally get to see Bella, and in her element no less. Instead Alice was taking Mini to his lesson and then bringing him back to her and Jazz's so I could finish this up.

As was my usual routine for when I was alone in the shop, I had the music blaring. It was getting darker earlier now, so I had the doors shut. There was rarely any crime in our part of town, but I wasn't about to be the one that statistic was blown on. I never was a neat builder. The bike always stayed impeccable, it was just easier to keep it clean than to have to rub out the grease later. Me, on the other hand... it wasn't unusual for me to be covered from finger tip to elbow in some type of motor oil, paint, chrome polish, or grease. I did at least try to keep my clothes clean. You never knew of a client would stop in to discuss a design or look over their order, so I opted for a towel that I kept tucked in my waist band. Since I was alone and there was no chance of any surprise visits from clients, I pulled off my black Eclipse Choppers polo shirt and stood to circle the bike that was firmly strapped to the lift. I walked over to the check list on the project board and gave it the once over. Satisfied that I could knock off most of the items on the list I cranked up the music a little more with the tiny white remote and let Poison's "Nothin' But A Good Time" fill the air.

_An oldie, but a goodie. Let's do this, Cullen._

I sat on one of the low, rolling stools and went to work, making adjustments, connecting hoses, splicing wires, priming pistons, fitting belts. It didn't take long to acquire the hands of a grease monkey. The wife beater I wore was smudged beyond repair, so I wiped some of the excess grease along the front. Apparently, Emmett had been listening to the stereo earlier, 'cause the next song to come up in the playlist was "Next Go Round" by Nickelback. Man, this song reminded me of everything I wanted to do to Bella every minute of every day. My dick seemed to share that opinion; it was straining against my pants like it was claustrophobic. Hell, when wasn't it anymore. I'd thought it had been bad during the Sexbargo, but since that had ended things had only gotten more intense. Not that I was complaining, but it did make it difficult to walk at times. Hell, I had a hard time stringing together a coherent thought that didn't involve my lower extremity anymore.

I was lost in the lyrics and focused on my task. I didn't hear anything but the sound of the music pounding and the metallic ratcheting of bolts tightening, so I was taken by complete surprise when a single black leather stiletto-heeled boot came to rest on the platform next to me. "Nice chopper, Cullen." I jumped clear out of my skin. I followed the smooth black leather, noticing the red soles and the insanely thin heels as the butter soft leather flowed heavenward along a thin leg, up over the bent knee that was inches from my face, and hugged the soft flesh of a bare thigh. _Thigh. Highs._ I swiveled to continue the view that was behind me. There stood Bella, my Bella- more beautiful than I had ever seen her before. Above the fuckhawt thigh highs she wore a tiny denim skirt topped with a black tank top with the Eclipse logo in hundreds of tiny, shiny stones. I desperately wanted to rub my eyes to be sure it wasn't a hallucination, but my hands and arms were covered in grease. I shook my head trying to clear it, but when I opened my eyes she stood there still. Her hands on her hips, that thigh so close to my head.

"Bella? What are you doing here? I thought you and Mini had a lesson tonight...." My sex addled brain had obviously checked out on the fact that it was way past time for Mini Me's lesson to be finished.

"We did. Alice picked him up and took him home. Imagine my disappointment when I opened my door to your spiky haired, evil-fairy sister instead of you. I was crushed when my dear friend informed me that you would be working late tonight and she'd pick Masen up from his lesson as well. I look forward to seeing you at my door every Thursday evening, Edward."

"Were you? Disappointed, that is. So you decided to just stop by the shop?" I found it difficult to breathe, much less swallow.

"Sure. Why not? I knew you'd be here late, and I figured, 'What the hell?'"

"Did you happen to teach my son in that outfit, or was this something you put on just for me?" I mentally counted down how much longer I had before I needed to have "the talk" with the man-child. I figured I had two years tops, by my calculations. That time would be greatly cut down if Masen ever saw Bella in this outfit. My gaze took her in from head to heel. Damn. Her voice was husky, but playful when she answered.

"No, silly Grease Monkey. I changed before I came. I ordered these boots online and they came in today. I've been dying for you to see them. They're surprisingly comfortable. I could probably wear them marathon shopping with Alice."

The song switched to one of our favorite songs; Jay Sean's "Fire" blared over the speakers. We both chuckled a little, and she reached for the remote to turn down the music a little.

"You look… amazing."

"Really? You like this?" She stepped back so I could get the full effect of the outfit. I motioned for her to turn a full 360 degrees.

"Yes, I really like it." Her hair hung loose around her shoulders, obviously windblown. Something occurred to me then, "Bella, did you ride your bike over here… dressed like that?"

"Yes, and these boots were not made for riding motorcycles. They're made for one thing and one thing only. Wanna know what that is, Edward?"

I swallowed hard and nodded my head in consent.

Her voice had a low, husky tone;, her mouth was suddenly very close to my ear, "Sex." With that she brought the bright sole of her left foot up and rested it gently on my thigh. The position afforded me the perfect view straight up the tiny skirt she was wearing. To add to my shock and delight I made another discovery. "Bella," her name rumbled in my chest, "You aren't wearing any panties."

She giggled an all-knowing sound, "Edward, didn't you know? That's Vicki's best kept secret: 'Bare with nothing there'."

I forgot everything. Where we were, what surrounded us; all I knew was that Bella was standing before me hot as hell and all but begging me to fuck her. I grabbed her by the ass and pulled her even closer. I could smell the leather that covered her skin; I nuzzled the tender flesh of her thigh that peaked out between the top of the boots and the hem of her skirt. My tongue followed, and drew gentle sweeping circles disappearing up under the denim. She gasped as I drew closer to her bare secret I had seen moments earlier. I looked up at her, confirming my intentions to continue further along her buttery smooth skin until I reached my destination. Her hands combed through my hair, brushing back the strands that had fallen in my face. She grasped fists full of it just as I reached the sweet juncture between her thighs. We both moaned when my tongue slid along her sex. Her knees buckled a little as I worked her, sucking and licking the supple flesh.

"Ugh, Edward.... More. Touch me, baby."

I desperately wanted to. Wanted to be inside of her, feeling the responses I was coaxing from her body. But I remembered my grease covered hands. I smiled against her soft skin, relishing how her hips ground and strained to gain more contact. Teasing and tasting her I answered between licks, "My hands... are covered... in... grease... love."

She moaned in protest. With one more long, deliberate lick I pulled back away from her, pausing to tell her that I would wash my hands and be right back. She begged me to hurry, and my promise to do so was a swipe of my tongue back up her inner thigh where I sucked a hard, quick draw. Knowing full well there'd be a purplish mark there shortly. I grinned at the thought of my mark on her private skin, where only I could see where I'd been. She bent to kiss me, tasting herself on my lips and tongue.

We reluctantly broke the kiss, and just as we did the rusty hinges on the side entrance door squealed in protest as it was flung open forcefully. I only knew of one person who opened a door that way. Part of me prayed it was him, the other part shuddered at the thought. Instinctively, I pulled her to me in a protective hold; folding her tiny frame into my own. I heard the booming voice as his huge frame filled the doorway.

"Wat up, MoFo? What the hell are you doing working here this late--"

That's obviously when he realized that I wasn't alone. I turned to the side a little to shield Bella from his view. It was unnecessary, as her face was buried deep in my chest, her hands fisting my undershirt in a vice grip of death.

"Emmett," I literally growled his name.

"Whoa, little bro, I had no idea you had company. Was I _interrupting _something?" His tone insinuated that he was less than concerned with whether he was indeed interrupting or not. _ Asshat._ With every drop of sarcasm I could muster I answered my tard of a brother.

"No, Em, you're not interrupting _anything_. What makes you think you're _interrupting_?"

"Really? You sure about that? "Cause those greasy hand prints on your girl's ass tell a different story."

A quiet groan escaped from the woman I held. She whispered, "I'm going to the bathroom. Get rid of him." Her demand was gentle but firm. Bella slipped from my arms, her hair a curtain around her; shielding her identity. I watched as she retreated behind me to the employee bathrooms. Two perfect, dark hand prints were stamped on the back of her skirt, one on each ass cheek. They swayed as she walked away. I turned back to face my brother, wondering how we could possibly share DNA.

"Emmett. What are you doing here?"

"Hey, man, had I known you were giving a private tour of the shop I would have knocked first or some shit like that. Who's the pussycat? Those are some fuck hawt boots!"

"I wasn't expecting her myself. Now, what the hell did you want?"

"Honest, E, I was coming down to see if I could lend a hand, but you obviously don't need any help. You apparently know exactly where everything goes. At least as far as hand placement is concerned. I'm a boob man myself, but I'm all for a good ass grab!"

I ripped the towel from my waistband and chucked at him as hard as I could.

"Shut it, and get lost, dumb ass!" Em easily caught the rag, wringing it in his hands.

"_I'm_ the 'dumb ass'? I'm not the one who didn't hang a towel on the knob! That's the universal 'Do not disturb' sign, Eduardo! Or has it been so long since you got a piece that you'd forgotten that?"

"I didn't forget! Just go! Get. Out. Now. And hang the towel on the door on your way out, Romeo."

"Going, Captain Boner! Damn. You think you'd be in a better mood knowing you were gonna get laid."

He whipped the towel in my direction, causing it to snap. A loud crack echoed through the air like a punctuation mark. I was greatly relieved when he turned to leave, but not before turning to call back loudly over his shoulder, "His hands look good on your ass. Good luck getting that grease off, doll face!" There was no doubt in my mind that Bella heard what he'd said. Thankfully she was smart enough to stay in the bathroom until after he'd left. Otherwise our secret would have come to a premature end. Something I sure as hell hoped hadn't happened to our evening.

Bella cracked the bathroom door and peeked out.

"Is he gone?"

"Yes, babe. Come on out."

She emerged slowly from the safety of the bathroom. I walked over to the door that minutes earlier my brother had burst through and locked the damn thing. Bella and I had a bizarre thing about people walking in on us. We really needed to get into the habit of locking doors behind us. Hell, we could be screwing like bunnies if we had the foresight to lock a fucking door! She crossed the room to me and stopped near the bike I'd been working on. Silently she reached down, picked up the remote and turned the music up. Then she motioned for me to come to her; her finger curling and beckoning me closer. I held up my hands, reminding her that I had business to take care of. Making fast work of cleaning up, I obeyed her earlier request.

Everything about Bella at that moment radiated beauty and confidence. Grabbing her hips, I pulled her into a deep kiss, "Where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?"

"Um, here, actually, but we were about to go a lot further. At least, I hope we were." She used the remote to flip through the playlist to find the song she was looking for. I tried to distract her from her task by peppering her neck and chest with kisses. I ground Little Edward against her hips, letting her know I was ready and willing. It confused me when she gently pushed me away and stepped back from my hold. A song poured from the speakers as she strutted a few steps away to a rolling stool. In a smooth, fluid motion she kicked it towards me. I stopped it with my own foot. "Sit," she commanded. And I obeyed.

Bella moved a few steps closer to where I awaited her next command; she was obviously in control of this evening's activities. I didn't have to wait long. "You, watch _me_. Keep your eyes right here," she ran her hands down the length of her body.

"Yes, ma'am!" Her beautiful smile was my reward for obeying. Or so I thought. That's when she spun around, her back facing me. Then she bent from the waist and ran her hands up along her legs from toe to thigh, offering me the perfect view of everything up under that handkerchief-sized skirt of hers. As she turned back to face me her hands moved to the button at her waist. When that had been popped loose she slowly lowered the zipper. Her thumbs hooked into the waist and started to tug the denim downward... and stopped. My mind screamed, "Tease!"

She offered her back to me yet again. This time she reached for the hem of her tank top, and, with a brief glance over her shoulder at me to make sure I was still watching, yanked the shirt up and over her head. The skin of her bare back flashed momentarily before her hair cascaded down to shroud it again. The shirt came flying at my head and smacked me in the face before I gathered enough composure to manage any motor skills to block it. She moved to the beat of the music, fluid and sensuous. The skirt slid over her hips as she guided it down her body. The motion was slow and deliberate and sexy as hell. Little by little her delicious ass was revealed to me. Even sexier was her looking back over her shoulder to watch me watching her. Carefully she stepped out of the skirt, leaving only the thigh high leather stilettos on.

She continued to move to the music. I was desperate for her to turn and face me. While the view of her bare ass and hair swaying to the music was more than stimulating, I really wanted to see the "main attraction," so to speak. Occasionally I would catch a side glimpse of a boob, but she continued to tease and taunt me until I was practically fucking writhing from the want. My hand reached down to adjust the bulge in my shorts. I involuntarily moaned at the contact and her head whipped around to see me in mid-adjustment. She must have thought I was trying to relieve some of the growing tension.

"No, no, no... none of that! That's _my_ toy! What _you_ want is over here." I moved to claim what I wanted, but was ordered back to my stool. "Park it, Cullen. You touch what and when I tell you to. Just watch for now."

Bella then turned to face me and I nearly fell off the stool at the sight of her naked in those heels. She made her way to me, standing before me, barely moving her body. The slight movement reminded me of waves rolling onto the shore. I pictured her making the same moves as she straddled me. My hand reached out to touch her perfect skin, but she stepped just out of reach, chastising me for trying. For a heartbeat the room went quiet as the song switched and "S.E.X." by Nickleback ripped through the room. A grin crept across her face as a single finger slid down my arm, starting at my bicep and swirling around the ink that stained my wrist. She made her way behind me, her hand barely brushing along my shoulders from right to left. Involuntarily, I shuddered at her touch. I felt her lean into me as she whispered, "Lose the shirt." In a flash the wife beater lay in a heap on the garage floor.

She came around full circle, and stood before me. She stepped closer to me, and I spread my legs to allow her to stand between them, hoping she would. She obliged and her hands rested on my shoulders. She eyed my skin greedily, drinking in the images she had seen so many times before, but each time she saw them was like the first. "I love your ink. You're so beautiful. I wish I could look at you like this always."

"Funny, I was just thinking the exact same thing. Never put clothes on again, okay?"

"Well, that might make riding my bike difficult. Indecent exposure and all."

"Damn, baby. You could just ride me. No shoes, no shirt, no problem!" She smirked at my crass joke, but then her face got serious.

Slowly she bent to feather a kiss over each of my eyes, then my lips. My hands lay limp at my sides, aching to touch her, but not yet given permission to. The kisses deepened as Bella's hands roamed over my chest and neck; her fingers finding their way into my hair one moment and then grazing the ridges of my abs the next. Unable to reach out to her, my fists clenched and unclenched. It was sweet release when her voice rose above the music, "Touch. Me. Edward. Put your hands on me." I willingly obeyed, running my hands along her satin skin. Up along her thighs to her hips, over the smooth plains of her abdomen, then around to her back, drawing her closer still. I covered the flesh closest to my mouth with kisses and tender caresses. I explored further north to the supple breasts and the pink peaks, teasing and swirling around the very tips. Her breathing became more like little pants and I reached between her legs to feel the slick heat there. She moaned and her knees buckled beneath her. Hungrily I covered a pert nipple with my mouth when she crumpled at my touch. She moved to straddle one of my legs, granting me better access to her and I responded by pressing two fingers up into her and began pumping in and out. I wanted desperately to be buried deep within her. My erection strained against the zipper, so much that I wondered if I'd have a permanent imprint of the fucking thing on my dick before the night was over.

Bella's nails scratched almost painfully down my chest and over my stomach.

_Fuck! That was going to leave a mark! But god, did it feel good! _

She made quick work of the button on my shorts and started to unzip them as well. I reached to stop her, only because I wasn't wearing any underwear, and I was genuinely concerned that the frank or beans might get caught in the fucker. I lifted my hips a little off the stool and pulled the waist of the shorts out so she had a little extra room to maneuver. Soon she was tugging the shorts down, or trying to. "Stand up, Edward." Reluctantly, my hand stilled in her and withdrew from the soft warmth. Once I had complied with her order she quickly removed the shorts. They joined the rest of our clothes on the garage floor. Like two magnets our naked bodies were drawn to each other. Bella broke the connection and led me by the hand over to the bike I'd been working on when she came in earlier.

"There's something I've been dying to try. I wonder if you'd help me?"

"Please. Like you even have to ask. What's this 'something' you speak of?"

She stepped up on the bike lift next to the chopper. "Is this thing stable?"

"Yeah, it's strapped down. Not going anywhere," I gave it a firm shake to make my point. The devious grin that spread across her face had my inner teenage boy screaming at the possibilities she had in mind. She tugged me up alongside her on the lift. Her hands slowly roamed along the plains of my body, feeling the ridges and bulges of the muscles tightly bound beneath the skin. With each pass they grew tighter. My hands explored her very familiar form, playing along the tops of the thigh highs she still wore, kissing her deeply, with purpose, hoping to convey that I was more than willing to let her run this show. "What did you have in mind, Bella?"

That's when she turned her back to me and bent over the black leather seat of the bike, her beautiful round ass displayed perfectly for me. I sent a silent thank you to the shoe gods for those heels. She shook that mane of mahogany, looked back over her shoulder at me, and simply raised an eyebrow in invitation. I took myself in one hand, pumping the length a few times, while I smoothed over the toned curve of her ass with the other. I hovered at her slick entrance for a moment, teasing her with the tip of my erection. She moaned as I slowly buried myself in her. My hips pressed against her ass, and I had to concentrate to avoid coming at the sensation of her around me.

Having Bella here, this way was one of my favorite and first fantasies I had of her: me, Bella, a hot bike. Here we were, and I was dammed if I was gonna fuck this moment up because of a case of premature ejaculation! I counted to twenty in Spanish, struggling to recall my high school education. A flash of Senora Villadonaga standing at the front of the class in the giant plastic beaded necklaces that she always wore took care of the P.E. situation that threatened to ruin the moment. Bella chose that moment to grind against me, pressing for more. Being the giving guy that I am, I was more than happy to give her what she wanted.

With a hand on each hip, I pulled back then thrust into her. She cried out in pleasure and I repeated the movement. It didn't take long to get a rhythm going. I slid a hand up along the curve of her spine. I imagined the pristine skin inked there. At the moment all

I could picture was a "Property of Edward Cullen, Sex God Extraordinaire" engraved on a brass plate just above her ass. With each thrust I felt the warmth and tightness as my need for release increase. I reached up and grabbed a fist full of the hair that had fallen over her shoulders. Gently at first, I pulled the long falls, and then harder until her neck arched back towards me. Bella turned her head to look at me; the look of pleasure teetering on the edge of pain had me pushing into her frantically. She strained against the forcefulness of my blows, but pleaded for more as she clutched the leather under her finger tips, crying out for more of me with every thrust. The air was charged with our pants and groans. I felt her tightening around me, contracting with each thrust. We cried out at the same moment, her shattering around me and me shuddering within her, reaching our climaxes together. With little energy left, I collapsed over her bare back. Oh, yeah. I was a sex god and she was my goddess. There only thing I wanted in that moment was to hold her, but the shop didn't afford us many options for that.

On shaky legs, I stood and withdrew from her, placing a kiss on the small of her back where I'd imagined my name etched into her skin earlier. I reached for some nearby paper towels to clean us up before pulling her close to my chest. Her legs wound around my waist. I held her as close as I could and carefully lowered us down onto the stool. Bella nuzzled and kissed along my neck and shoulders. My fingers caressed the lines of her back, arms, and anywhere else they could reach. We sat like this, facing each other, exchanging gentle touches and kisses for what could have been hours. The speakers had long stopped playing any music. The only sounds were us tenderly loving one another. It was the perfect ending to the crazy, unexpected surprise the night had been.

I slid my hand down along her side, over her bare hip, and down her thigh. Finding the zipper to her boot, I gently slid it down, releasing her foot from the heel. When I had both feet bare I urged Bella to hop up. I went to where my Eclipse polo lay and brought it back to her. The sweetest thank you kiss was my reward. She slipped it on, then went to retrieve a backpack that I hadn't noticed before. She grabbed my pile of clothes on her way back to me. I was beginning to wonder if I wasn't dating a naughty girl scout; always prepared, she pulled out a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, chucks, and a jacket. The outfit she arrived in went into the bag. On went the jeans, sans panties. That was fucking hot. I had to hold myself back from shoving them down and taking her again, this time on top of the bike. When I'd cleared my head she had the chucks and jacket on, my polo knotted at her waist; showing her curves. I stood there naked, gripping onto my clothes like a moron.

"You gonna get dressed, hon, or you planning to ride home like that?" I snapped out of the Bella induced trance and mindlessly dressed. I didn't bother with the trashed wife beater; I just dumped it in the trash can. Once we were dressed and the shop was back in order, I shut off the lights and locked the place up.

"This was amazing. I never imagined you doing something like this."

"Please, you and I both know you have!"

"Okay, okay, you got me! I've always wanted something like that to go down, but that was so fucking much better than I imagined it! You up for round two at Casa de Swan?" I was so suave using the Spanish. That's something only a sex god like myself would do. Bella was obviously good for my ego if nothing else.

"What about Masen?"

"I called Alice; he's gonna stay with her and Jazz tonight."

"Then by all means, follow me home, big guy."

"Bella, I'd follow you to the ends of the earth."

**~oOo~**

_**A/N: **__A HUGE thanks to my Musey, __**Tellingmelies**__ and her proxy muse, __**BQOTFU, **__without them this chapter would've never been finished. I love you ladies and how you always support me, no matter what. _

_And to my tweeps: __**barburella**__, __**luvbethie**__, and __**lillred**__- you tweet little birdies are the most pushy-er, encouraging trio a girl could have! Thanks for loving Ride and its characters so much that I can't wait to write the next update for you ladies! XOXOXO_

_Most of all, thank __**YOU **__for reading. It means more to me than you will ever know. I'd love to hear what you thought, but don't feel obligated to review. I'll love you regardless of whether you review or not. 3 _


	13. Sweet and Salty

_**A/N:**__ Okay, gonna try something new here: shorter A/Ns._

_Thanks to the usual suspects: Mad love to my betas __**Dizzygrl28**__ and __**TwilightMundi **__who will make me a better write if it kills them (or me). __** Musey**__, you are one of the reasons on the very short list of why I continue to write. To my Pre-Riders: Barburella & __**LuvBethie,**__ you two are on that short list as well. _

_**Disclaimer: **__The only characters who are mine are the nine year old boy and the dog. SMeyer owes the rest._

**~oOo~**

Ch13- Sweet & Salty-TRoYL

**BPOV**

_**November**_

The weather was perfect. A balmy 76 degrees, the sun was high in the sky, not a cloud in sight. The firm sand gave beneath my running shoes a little with each stride I took. I had a great pace going; it felt as if I could run non-stop to Georgia at this rate. Mr. Darcy was comfortable with it too, easily keeping up with me. I had my favorite jogging mix playing on the iPod.

_Yeah, I_ could_ run forever like this. Or at least to Edward's._

Seven miles. Not that far when you thought about it really. Darce and I could run that, easily. Sure we _could_. But would it be pathetic to do a jog-by when I had just seen Edward six hours earlier? Hell, who was I kidding? What did I care if it was pathetic? I subconsciously knew I was going to buzz his place the second I decided to head north up the beach rather than south. I figured I had another four and a half miles to Edward's. I had no intentions of stopping, but surely I could run in his general direction and if he just _happened _to be out on the balcony, or better yet, the beach, then I'd wave and keep right on running.

_Yeah, right._

Staying close to the water where the sand was most firm, I settled into a steady rhythm; I looked down at Darcy to be sure he was still alright. I did a quick check of my watch once more to be sure I'd have time to do a "drive by" and make it back to my place in time to shower and get ready for the 5:30 dinner with Masen and Edward tonight. It was 12:45; more than enough time. I'd even be able to give Darcy a quick bath, too.

Edward's condo complex came into view. His was in the farthest building at the end. As I got closer my heart battered against my chest cavity: faster, harder, and not from the pace I was keeping as I ran. I could feel that I was getting closer to him, and while I knew I'd have a very slim chance of seeing him, even from far off, my pulse was racing at the possibility. I counted the buildings as I ran past. One.... Two.... Three.... Four.... Five…. Edward's building. I slowed, hoping to catch a glimpse or maybe just to draw out being this close to him without being noticed. Okay, it was a little stalker-ish, but I didn't care. My jog slowed to a walk and when I made it to the end I paced back in the opposite direction; back and forth in the sand in front of his building.

My heart and lungs wracked my chest in heaving gasps as I fought to catch my breath. I couldn't look up to his balcony, though. I couldn't bring myself to face the possibility of looking up there and _not_ seeing him. My eyes stayed trained on the waves rolling in and lapping at my sneakers. I felt Darcy tug at the leash as he did one of those all over body shakes dogs do so well and back away from the water; pulling me into softer sand and closer to the buildings. That distracted me from my trance. It was then that I glanced up to Edward's balcony to see a very familiar form waving its arms and calling out to the beach below. I tugged one of the earbuds free from my ear and heard Edward's voice calling down, "Hey there, beautiful!" I waved back at him. "Wait there, I'm on my way down!"

I planted my hands on my knees trying to catch my breath before Edward reached the beach. A painful cramp threatened to develop so I started walking at a slow pace. My jogging companion planted his rear in the cool, damp sand and panted. "Thirsty, buddy?" We shared the water I'd brought while we waited. Darcy's leash determined the length of each pass before I had to turn back in the other direction, and then repeat the small track. My pulse and breathing had mostly settled back into a normal pace, at least until I saw _him_ jogging over the dunes to me. Barefoot, bare chested, and in board shorts; my stomach did flip flops and my heart leapt up into my throat.

_Damn, this man never fails to take my breath away._

He pulled to a stop just in front of me, and his sun-warmed arms wound around my waist as he picked me up off the sand and spun me around. I had to drop Mr. D's leash to avoid tangling us up in it. As if by reflex, I nuzzled into his neck, breathing him into my lungs and taking a part of him into me. I loved how he smelled like the sea air around us, but fresh at the same time.

"Bella! What are you doing down here at my end of the beach?" The spinning stopped, but Edward still held me a good two feet off the ground. He clung to me as if he hadn't seen me in ages rather than the several hours it had actually been.

"Mr. Darcy needed to blow off some steam, so we went for a run, and somehow ended up at your end of the strip. I really didn't expect to see you, but now that I'm here I'm so glad we did." Every word was spoken into his neck, neither of us ready to part even an inch from the other just yet. When Edward's grip loosened it was just enough to allow me to slide down his body and let my toes touch the sand. I looked at the man holding onto me as if his life depended on it. Darcy sauntered up to Edward and nudged his leg. When his hold on my middle didn't ease to allow him to properly greet the pushy pooch, Mr. D pawed at Edward's thigh until that man relented. With one hand he reached down and scratched Darcy's head and behind his ears. Darce leaned into the affection and even gave Edward's hand a swipe of his tongue in thanks. "Awww, look at that! He does like you, Edward!"

"Nah, he was just testing to see how I taste. Must not agree with his sensitive palate, 'cause he didn't take a second taste." The gorgeous man winked at me. The hand at the small of my back bunched up the soft cotton of my tank top as he rubbed a distracting figure eight there. My own hands slid up from where they clasped his beautifully inked biceps up along his shoulders and across his back and found their way into his hair. I loved the feel of having fists full of his hair in my hands.

"I happen to love the way you taste, Mr. Cullen." I pulled his face down to mine so I could remind myself just how good he tasted. When our lips met the air rushed from my lungs. It was as if he knew exactly what I was going to do; I felt his tongue dart out and make languid sweep across my lips. They parted without my brain having to order them to, and allowed his full access to taste me as well. Mutually satisfied moans escaped from each of us.

"Mmmmmm, salty."

"I was going to say the same thing, Miss Swan. You are perfectly seasoned."

"Care for a second taste?"

"When it comes to you, I always want seconds," Edward kissed me a second time, "and thirds." The next kiss was deeper, and his hands moved down to my ass. He squeezed as my own wandered over the bare skin of his torso. Somewhere in my endorphin addled brain I marveled at the warmth that radiated from his skin. It wasn't long before I became aware of something else that was becoming ever more prevalent on the lower half of his body. I smiled against his persistent kisses. I tried to remind him where we were.

"Sweetie?" More kisses.

"Uh-huh?" More still.

"Edward?" Pressing my palms flat against his chest I managed to pry myself a few inches from him; enough to finally speak. I couldn't help but smirk at his enthusiastic greeting. "Dearest, it seems all the blood has rushed from your brain to other extremities, but this is a _public_ beach. Not to mention that we_ are_ just outside your condo where I'm sure we could easily draw an audience, if we haven't already, that is."

Edward's devilish half smile forewarned me of the comment he was forming in his head. "So let's give 'em a show they won't soon forget!" He closed in, eager to commence with the entertaining.

"Down, boy." Darcy, who had long grown bored with our brand of entertainment, looked up from his seat in the sand with a, "Who me?" look on his adorable face. I squatted down to reassure him that I did not mean him. Edward mimicked my stance and started to lavish attention on the mutt at our feet, "No, Darce, she wasn't talking to you!" I sat in the sand next to Darcy, and Edward did the same on the other side of the beast. We continued to rub the mass of bones and slobber between us, grinning like love-sick teens whenever our hands would brush against each other's.

"Come up."

"Excuse me?"

"Come up to the condo." Edward was watching me and I was watching the ocean roll in and out. "You're already here, Masen is itching for you to get here, just come on up."

I was tempted, really I was, but I needed to blow off some more steam, and I wanted to do the date with Masen and Edward the right way. I never expected to see him when I ran in this direction. Okay, a part of me hoped that I would, but I didn't think it _would_ happen. Tonight was just as much about Masen as it was about Edward, and I wanted it to be done the right way. So, as hard as it was to do, I told him no. To his credit and my surprise he didn't argue. He simply rose up in a single, fluid movement that was both graceful and sexy as hell. He reached out to help me up from the sand and his arms went straight to my waist. Our closeness made it difficult to concentrate. Things like his scent, his warmth, the ink etched into his chest, the feel of his hair in my hands, the way the sea breeze made his shorts brush against the bare skin of my legs rushed my senses all at once, but each registering one at a time. It was "Edward Overload." I shook my head slightly to try to clear it. No go.

"At least let me give you two a ride back to your place. No one has to know you're here. You can just meet me in the garage and I'll run up, grab the keys and take you home."

"Um… not a god idea, lover boy."

"What? Why not? It must have taken you more than an hour to get down here. It will take all of seven minutes to get you home if I drive."

"I ran for the exercise, Edward, and it only took about 45 minutes. I appreciate the offer, but Darce and I still have some run left in us." Edward's obvious disappointment showed on his face. He looked an awful lot like a little boy who sat in my classroom five days out of the week when I'd tell him to "keep it down" or to focus on his lessons. Many times I had seen the father reflected in the son; it was very endearing to see the son reflected in the father. I stretched to brush a kiss across his pouting lips to soften the refusal.

"Baby, if you take me home, I might not let you leave. Ever. It's better this way. While I'd love nothing more than to drag you back to my place and make you my love slave, I made a date with _two_ irresistible guys for tonight, and I'm afraid I have to keep it. Mr. Darcy and I can find our way home just fine on our own, but thank you for the offer." I didn't give him time to argue. I took his face in my hands, kissed him deeply, then Darcy and I turned and started in the direction of home. I looked over my shoulder long enough to call back to him, "We will see you at half past five, beloved. And Mr. Darcy likes his steak on the rare side." With a wink and shake of the lead, Darcy and I took off at a jog. We ran most of the way in silence before I pressed play again. Before long we were at the path that led directly across the road to my house.

The mutt knew the routine, bath first. His, that was. And he loved this part. I unwound the hose in the drive, stooping to collect the bucket that housed his personal grooming supplies. I slipped my iPod in the dock there and smooth chords of a piano flowed from the speakers in the garage. Avril Lavigne's "Innocence" spilled out into the open air. Darcy snapped and played in the stream of water that flowed from the hose. I looked up to the clear, bright sky. It seemed like everything was perfect right now. I felt calm and happy. Content, for once in my life, and just as the song said, I wouldn't change a single thing about my life at that moment. I felt a freaking wuss standing in my driveway, bathing my dog, and wanting to cry from the perfection surrounding me. My own shower came a little sooner than I had planned when Darcy chose that moment to shake the excess water from his coat. Squealing, I sprayed him again, then got down to business with the lather and scrub routine. He sat perfectly still, like the gentleman he always was. He loved this part best; when I massaged and scrubbed away at his tired muscles. When he was covered from ears to tail in suds I rinsed him off and let him have another good shake before I used his personal Sham-Wow to dry him off.

After I cleaned up and collected the leash and iPod we headed inside. Chaucer the cat greeted us at the door, and once we were in the house the two friends went out onto the second floor porch to find a spot in the sun to finish drying out. Chaucer opted to stretch out a few feet from the still damp form of the beast, but they lay nose to nose, sharing a strip of perfect sunshine.

I hurried upstairs to shower and blow dry my hair. I chose to wear a sundress, knowing how Edward loved them. I looked to the clock: 3PM. I still had two and a half hours until I went back to Edward's, so I decided to whip up some dessert for the evening. I thought about something to complement the "surf and turf" we'd be having. I waffled between Pineapple Upside Down Cake and my Gram's Coconut Creme Pie. I went with the pineapple figuring that not everyone liked coconut, but made a mental note to find out if Edward and Masen did. Maybe I'd make it for Sunday dinner.... That was if I got an invitation.

I checked to be sure I had everything I needed for both the cake and the pie and slid a bottle of my favorite bottle of wine into the wine chiller to replace the one I'd be taking with me to Edward's. Then I got busy baking the cake. It didn't take long. Before long the delicious scent of vanilla and pineapple filled the air. I decided to spend the thirty minutes or so it would take to bake at the piano. Alice had other plans. As soon as I sat down the phone rang. I knew immediately it was Alice by "The Phantom of the Opera" ringtone. The only creepier ringtone I could find was the "Death March," and I thought that was a bit over the top, even for Alice. I answered the phone, eager to talk to my friend.

"Hey, Allie. What's up?"

"Hey, B! I hear you'll be in my neck of the woods tonight!"

"Tonight? Hell, I've already been there once today, secretly, I might add, but, yes, I'm having a dinner date with Edward and Masen."

"Damn! Throw in Cullen Family Sunday Dinner and you could be considered a resident! Get this girl a parking decal!"

"Wait, Sunday Dinner? At the Cullen's? Does that mean what I think it means?"

"Um, if you think that it means that Edward called Esme today and told her that he'd be bringing someone to dinner tomorrow, then yeah."

"Holy shit."

"I know. That's huge, B! You _will_ be coming right?"

"Um, if he asks then I'll say yes."

"Oh, he'll ask. Don't be surprised if Mom calls you herself. That's just how she rolls. So, whatcha gonna wear?"

"Well, seeing as I haven't even received an invitation yet, Alice, I have no fucking clue. Let's save us both some time and you just _tell _me what to wear."

"Fine. Wear that denim skirt we bought a few weeks ago and the turquoise backless top with the silver gladiator sandals. It'll be casual, but nice for a 'Meet the Rents for the first time' dinner."

"Can't."

"What do you mean, 'Can't'?"

"Um, let's just say the denim skirt was lost in an impromptu 'finger painting' session."

"Bella.... Explain. Now."

"Okay, Edward ruined it when he decided to grab my ass with bike grease all over his hands. I have a perfect replica of each of his hands in grease on each ass cheek. It's not something I can wear in public, much less to your mother's Sunday Family Dinner. Sorry, Allie."

"OK, wear the black, high waisted skirt, and tuck in the top. Same shoes."

"Aye-aye, captain! How should I wear my hair?"

"Are you mocking me, Bella Swan?"

"No, never, Alice. Pinky swear!"

"Fine. French braid it. So he can see your back."

"Yes, ma'am. I will follow your instructions to the letter. That's if I get the invite."

"Shut it, Bella. You know you will!"

"Okay, okay! I'll trust that your mom is pacing the floor right now waiting for the appropriate time to call and invite me to dinner."

"That's more like it. Now, what are you wearing to Edward's _tonight_?"

"A sundress. And it's adorable. And I'm not changing. So don't even try."

"No that's fine, but you do have underwear on, right? I mean, Masen will be there and all." I moaned at the intrusion of privacy.

"Of course, you crazy ass troll! I do have a natural sense of decency! It's not like I'm a nympho or anything! I'm a damn teacher for heaven's sake!"

"I know, B! But you're the teacher who _dry humped_ a parent on her classroom piano. I'm just making sure."

"Oh, hell! I passionately dislike you sometimes, Alice. I _KNEW_ I should have never let you weasel that story out of me! No more details about my sex life for _you_ missy!"

"Pft, as if I could be that lucky. And you know you adore me. Have fun tonight. I've been banned from 'popping in,' so I'll see you tomorrow at dinner."

"Okay, sounds great. Oh, Alice?"

"Yeah, Bellybutton?"

"Ugh, I hate those nicknames.... Does your family like coconut? I was thinking about making a coconut creme pie to bring tomorrow."

"You don't need to bring anything, Bella, but that would be wonderful. Besides, Emmett will eat anything, so bring whatever you'd like.

"I just didn't want to come empty handed. Thanks, what would I do without you?"

"Hmmm, that's a good question. Let's not find out, okay? Talk to you soon, sweetie! Bye!"

"Bye, Allie-Gator."

"Oh, lord. And student becomes the master...."

**~oOo~**

Edward's mother did call; just after I hung up with Alice the phone rang again. The sweetest voice answered my greeting and promptly introduced herself as Esme Cullen, Edward and Alice's mom. She was quick to express that she hoped she didn't seem too forward by calling and not just letting her son invite me, but she wanted to personally extend an invitation to the infamous Cullen Family Sunday Dinner. I graciously accepted and asked if it would be okay if I brought the pie. She assured me I didn't need to bring anything, but that the pie would be welcomed and devoured by her brood. When I hung up the phone I was looking forward to the following night and really excited to meet the rest of the Cullens.

With the time I had left, I quickly made the crust for the pie and put it in to bake so it would be ready to assemble the next day. I finally did sit down at my beloved piano for a few minutes and played some of my favorite pieces. My thoughts wandered to nowhere specifically and everywhere at the same time. It wasn't long before the timer was beeping and I snapped out of my trance-like state to pull out the shell to cool on the stove top while I was gone.

Realizing the time, I collected my Pineapple Upside Down Cake, the chilled wine, and Darcy's lead in case he needed to go for a walk. While he was very well behaved, we had very strict leash laws at the beaches. I loaded up the booty and as an afterthought grabbed my Canon camera sitting near the door. Darce and I piled everything into the Porsche and I put the top down for the quick drive to Edward's. The butterflies in my stomach fluttered like the wind in my hair as we sped down the coastal highway.

In a matter of minutes I was at the condo complex, punching in the security code to enter the parking lot and then the second to park in the underground garage like usual. I pulled into the empty space next to Edward's BMW, then Mr. D and I made our way to the elevator. As I stood in the small space I took a few calming breaths. I'd made this trip dozens of times to see Edward and Masen, but this was for an entirely different reason; in a completely different capacity. Darce sat beside me for the short trip, his tail thumping the floor loudly. It was as if he sensed that he was about to see his shortest companion, aside from Chaucer, that is. I half expected to see Masen and his father standing at the elevator when it opened up onto the third floor, but the hall was empty when the doors slid open.

"Let's do this, big guy. Please be on your best behavior and _no_ crotch sniffing, okay?" With one last deep breath we walked down the few feet to Condo 3A and I knocked. Darcy sat at my feet and patiently waited for admittance. When the door opened Edward stood on the other side with his son next to him. It was like looking at them for the first time. Or maybe I was just really seeing them for who they were to me. Together, as a package. They were a family, and with this dinner they were in way inviting me to be a part of that unit. I tried to not be overwhelmed by the thought, but it was nearly impossible. If it hadn't been for Mr. Darcy and his overactive tail thump, thump, thumping against the floor and being entirely irresistible to the affections of one little man child, I would have broken down and sobbed in the cake. And Pineapple Upside Down Cake doesn't taste good soggy.

"Hi there," came Edward's greeting.

"Hi there, yourself," I replied. The two of us stood there gawking at each other like love struck fools.

Masen, unable to contain his excitement at seeing his four legged friend at his house, burst through the door and down onto his knees in front of his friend. "Darcy! I can't believe you're really here! Hey there, boy! How have you been the last few days, buddy?" Masen rubbed the mutt's ears and hugged his neck as Darcy slobbered all over his face and neck and hands. I couldn't help but giggle at the picture in front of me. It was the same greeting that took place in my foyer each Thursday. In his exuberance Darcy knocked Masen back onto his backside and we all chuckled. Mini scampered back on all fours a little ways before popping up and then called Mr. D into the condo after him, "Here, boy, come on in!"

"Hey, punk kid of mine! What do you say to the pretty lady who's apparently baring gifts of delicious proportions?" I chuckled at Edward's reprimand of his son. "Here, let me help you with those," he took the cake and wine as he bent to drop a sweet kiss onto my cheek. I glanced around quickly to see if Masen had noticed. Not a chance; he was all engulfed in his buddy. "Masen, what do you say to Miss B.?"

A suddenly very repentant mussy-haired man child scrambled before me with his companion equally repentant at his side. "Oh, hi, Miss B.! Thanks for the cake! It smells really good. I can't wait to try it. Dad and I have the grill alredy fired up and the veggies and potatoes have been on for a little while now. I hope you like dinner. I think Big D will like his steak! We got him his very own, and the butcher even sent him a bone!" He looked to his dad with the last statement and continued, "But Dad says we had to ask you first about the bone. Does he eat bones?"

Who could resist this angel boy? "Well, I think if we watch him closely to be sure he doesn't choke, then it should be fine for him to chew on it for a while. That was very thoughtful of you and the butcher, Masen. Thank you. And... if it's okay with your dad-" I looked to Edward, "I think you could drop the Miss when it's just us. What do you think,_ Dad_?"

Edward thought about it for a second, then answered, "If you're okay with it then I'm okay with it."

I turned my attention to Masen, "Okay, Little Man?"

"Yeah, sure, B." The little charmer punctuated the statement with a shrug and a wink.

Edward took the lead of the night's activities."Let's get dinner finished, you guys, I'm starving! I bet Mr. Darcy wants that bone, Mini Me. Why don't you take him out on the balcony and let him chew on it out there. B and I will put this stuff in the kitchen and be out with the rest of the ingredients for dinner in a few."

"Coolio, daddio."

"Daddio?" Edward and I looked back and forth from one another to Masen.

"Yeah, Uncle Em says it sometimes. It sounds funny."

Edward chuckled, "Well, just as long as you remember the Cullen family motto: 'Don't repeat everything you hear Emmett Cullen say!'" The two recited the motto perfectly in sync. It was obviously something that was said often. "There're some snacks on the counter for the two legged diners as well, Me. Take those out there for us to munch on while we finish grilling, okay?"

"Sure, Dad. Let's go, Big D!" I watched as Mini walked off to collect his offering for Darcy and warmed as the two friends made their way to the balcony to get their crunch and munch on.

Once in the kitchen Edward set about opening the wine and I took the platter with the steaks and assorted crustaceans out of the fridge. Everything was ready and I hopped up on the counter to watch him make fast work of the cork. I handed him the glasses and he filled them generously. We held up our glasses and he proposed a toast, "To full disclosure."

It was the perfect toast, and I laughed out. "To full disclosure!"

The glasses made a beautiful sound as they came together and it reminded me of a note being played on a piano.

E set his glass down on the counter. Taking mine, he set it beside his. His hand slid lightly up along my bare legs and he moved to stand between my knees. "I don't believe I've been able to properly greet you, my love. Think we can remedy that before the night gets too far away from us?"

Our heads drew steadily closer to each other, "I think we can..."

Just as our lips were about to brush together we heard Mini call from the balcony, "Hey, old man? What's taking so long in there? Mr. D's gonna have this bone chewed to bits and I'm gonna be next on the menu if you two don't get out here with those steaks soon!"

We moaned at the interruption and I thought I heard Edward mutter something about a "cockblocking spawn" under his breath as he helped me down off the counter. "Hold your horses, Mini! You'd think you hadn't eaten all day the way you're squawking!"

He handed me both of our glasses, and grabbed the platter and wine bottle himself. I moved to follow him out of to the balcony when he abruptly stopped and tuned to face me. The wine in our glasses sloshed around when I bumped into him. Without warning his mouth covered mine, and his tongue forced its way into my mouth. I moaned as the raw lust rolled off him in waves. Our lips and tongues tangled. My hands, fighting not to drop the glasses, wanted nothing more than to be all over him at once and had no recourse to do so. His hands were just as full, but our bodies needed to feel one another. Edward pressed against me, and I stepped closer to him, allowing every possible inch of us to be touching. His chest pressed against mine, the tight muscles there rubbing, teasing and I felt my nipples harden instantly. Hungry for more, he ground his pelvis against me, desperate for the friction he'd find there. Eager to feel what I was doing to him I pushed back against him just as hard and my hips moved to match his. Quiet moans and gasps escaped from between our lips as his insistent movements backed me against the counter. With me pinned he could move against me as his body needed him to. It wasn't but a few seconds before he had a rhythm that had us both panting more than kissing.

"Edward, I'm already so close."

"Me too"

"But, Mas-"

"Shush."

The platter was set on the counter on one side of my hips and the bottle of wine on the other side. I braced my wrists on the counter behind me, my hands still grasping the wine glasses. His newly emancipated hands went straight to my hips, holding me still against him. He moved with purpose, each thrust finding purchase right where I needed to feel him most. The growing warmth in my center grew hot and intense. I felt my stomach tighten in anticipation of the impending release. I whimpered my need into his open mouth. A few thrusts latter and we were both riding the tidal wave of our mutual orgasms. Edward kissed me several times as we came down from the passion. Foreheads pressed together he looked into my eyes. "I don't know what came over me, Bella. I'm..."

I silenced his apology with a tender kiss. "Now that's what I call a proper greeting, Mr. Cullen."

His mouth twisted into my favorite smirk. "I'm gonna need to change. Can you handle things for a second?"

"Of course I can. Go, and be quick about it. I'm suddenly ravenous."

"GUYS!!! Where are the da-gum steaks?" Masen's voice called from the balcony.

"Coming!" I called out to him.

"I believe the proper use of the verb would be 'came,' Miss Swan." He dropped a quick kiss on my lips.

"Oh, stop gloating, and go!"

**~oOo~**

"What took you so long?" In one hand I had the platter of food and in the other I had a few sodas for Masen.

"Well, your dad was having problems with the corkscrew and the cork broke all in the wine, so we were fishing cork out of our glasses."

"Figures, he does that a lot."

"Oh, he does?"

"Yeah, we can't decide if the corkscrew stinks or if it's an operator error. At least that's

what Jazz calls it."

I found it interesting that my fictional excuse actually had merit. What happened in that kitchen between Edward and me would give new meaning to "corkscrew." The thought flew through my mind.

_Believe me, it has nothing to do with operator error. That man knows_ exactly_ how to operate his corkscrew_.

"Well, he'll be out in a few seconds. In the meantime, let's get these puppies on the grill!"

Masen and I arranged the steaks and lobster tails on the grill, saving the shrimp for last. Edward joined us soon after that. He had our wine and wore the same clothes he had on earlier and Mini didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. I excused myself to use the restroom, and stopped by the kitchen to fill a bowl with water for Darcy and grab the camera. When I came back on the balcony Edward was fussing over the steaks and Mini was sitting on the ground next to Mr. D, petting him as he gnawed away at his precious bone. I put the bowl down on the floor and leaned against the door jamb. I quietly clicked off a few frames without being noticed: Edward's Adonis-like form at the grill and Masen interacting with Darcy as he thoroughly enjoyed the bone.

I'd been in this condo dozens of times now. I'd been in each of its rooms, I'd even had dinner here on several occasions, but I wasn't sure how I should be here, in _this_ space in _this_ moment. I wanted to go to Edward and wrap my arms around his waist from behind as he stood over the hot grill. At the same time I was torn between wanting to go to the man-child snuggling with my mutt and join him there on the ground. I looked from the father to the son. Each caught up in what they were doing at the moment, but completely content and relaxed in this space in time. It was then, standing just outside their bubble that I realized that I wasn't on the outside anymore. I was a part of this little scene. Sure it was new, and maybe little unsteady, but I was woven into its pattern now.

I pushed off the door and walked over to stand next to the mess of bronze hair that I had looked at so often, I'd even tried to tame it once or twice, and I sank to the floor next to the boy who'd looked up at me. We sat shoulder to shoulder, much like we did for one of our lessons, our backs propped against an outdoor couch. I reached behind me to grab a pillow, clutching it to give my hands something to do as I decided how to continue.

My thoughts were interrupted by his "little man" voice; wise beyond its years, "So, Dad told me this morning that you two have been seeing each other. Like dating. For a while now." He sounded so grown up, or like he was trying to sound that way.

I tried not to laugh, but it still escaped and ended up sounding like a muffled snort. "Yeah, M, we have been. It's been about, what, two months now, Edward?"

That man never looked up from his grill. He simply answered, "About that long, baby."

I could hear the grin in his voice, and with those four words everything was out in the open as far as Masen was concerned. He knew Edward and I were together, and he knew for how long we'd been together.

"Wow, two months. That is a long time -- for Dad, at least. Either you have a ton of patience to put up with his crap, or you have no short term memory like that chick in that movie Aunt Rose and and Aunt Allie made me watch."

I knew exactly the one he meant, _50 First Dates_.

"Yeah, that one."

"No, Mini, my memory's fine. Believe me, your dad is very memorable," Masen groaned at the potentially sappy, lovey-dovey moment. I continued, "But to be honest, you _both_ are very memorable."

"You _have_ to say that, Miss B! I mean, B."

"I most certainly do _not_! Why would I?"

"'Cause you are my teacher_ and _you're seeing my dad. That's a double whammy. If you don't say it then you could crush my fragile student ego or possibly ruin this 'little thing' you have going with my Dad." He rolled his eyes dramatically letting me know he was kidding.

"Oh, Masen... don't you know me better than that by now? After all we've been through? First of all, I have never been, nor will I ever be, concerned with your 'fragile ego,' 'cause no such thing exists. You, sir, are completely self-assured. Something you get from your father. I know this for a fact. Secondly, this 'little thing' as you called it, could actually have its own zip code!"

I tousled his hair and draped my arm around his shoulders. I loved that he snuggled into the curve of my side and how his head fell back to rest against my shoulder. I took this as my opportunity to speak my piece about the new twist on our relationships. "Seriously, MM, the fact that your dad and I were ready to bring you in on this should say something to you. I hope I don't have to tell you that nothing changes as far as school goes, mister. As for when it's just us, well, I don't see where much will change there either, except all three of us can spend more time together now. You down for spending a little more time with me, kiddo?"

Masen shifted so he could look right at me. "You're joking, right, B? 'You had me at Hello.'"

"What? Did you just quote _Jerry Maguire_ to me, Little Man? And what is that supposed to mean, exactly?"

"Yep, I did. But I've never seen it. Dad says I'm not old enough. Uncle Emmett told me all about it, though. What I mean is that we always have fun when you're around. Now you get to be around even more? I'd say it's a win, win situation." He settled back against me. Darcy scooted closer and rested his massive head in Mini's lap. The boy took the less then subtle hint and stroked him lovingly. Both let out a contented, audible sigh.

"So we're all cool here, right?"

"Yeppers. Cool as a cucumber."

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a way with words, Masen?"

"Well, my Uncle Emmett says I'm a smart as- uh, _butt_."

"He does, does he? Well, I've met your Uncle Emmett and I'd say that it takes one to know one." I looked up at Edward who had been "pretending" to pay very close attention to the ingredients on the grill while I knew very well that he had been listening to every syllable. It was obvious from the huge grin he was sporting. His eyes met mine and everything stood still. Months of worry and concern melted away. I sat there, not wanting the moment to end. Edward broke the connection when he jovially declared that dinner was ready.

We ate on the balcony, looking out over the waves. Dinner was delicious, the view was paradise, and the conversations were light and easy. It was like we had always been this way. When the plates had been cleared I served the cake and both of my men gobbled it down and petitioned me for seconds. Gluttons. I relented, warning them against tummy aches and "going soft" if they ate too much. Edward and I moved to the kitchen to start cleaning up. Masen was close behind us with the rest of the remnants from our wonderful meal. I went about scraping plates and making stacks as I rinsed them. Mr. Darcy sat at my feet watching my every move. Talk about a glutton! He'd had his own steak and a side of veggies, and there he was praying some scrap or morsel would fall to its untimely demise and he could inhale it.

_Well, you _do_ call him Hoover for a good reason._

I was surprised when Edward came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I looked to Mini from the corner of my eye to see what his reaction would be to seeing this level of physical interaction between the two of us. Edward had held my hand some at dinner, but that was the extent of PDAs so far. He spoke into my hair, "Come on, this is Masen's job, anyway. Let the little moocher earn his keep and come play with me...." The shocked look on my face and the blush that crept across my cheeks had Edward laughing and quick to add clarification to his invitation, "The_ piano_, Bella!"

I just rolled my eyes at him, and dried my hands on the dish towel. "You okay with these dishes, Little Man?"

He bumped me out of the way, "Yeah, B, I got this. I'm used to Dad's slave driving ways. He's a real ball buster when he wants to be."

My eyes got wide as we both turned to look in disbelief at the boy next to us. In the span of forty-five seconds both Cullen "men" had succeeded in shocking me into blushing.

Edward calmly asked, "Um, Masen, do you _know_ what that means?" _Oooh, this was going to be fun to watch how he handles this one._ He stood before his miniature carbon copy, one arm wound around my waist, the other he rested on Mini's shoulder. I laughed to myself, he looked so much like a _father _at that moment.

"Sure. It's what you call someone who makes you work hard."

"Okay," Edward drew out the last syllable trying to buy time to think of what to do or say next. "Well, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that you learned that from Emmett. Am I right?"

"Nope." We were both shocked at that admission.

"Then who did you hear it from?"

"Mikey." Now it was my turn to join the questioning.

"As in Newton?"

"Yeah. He says that's what his dad calls his mom when she wants him to do something he doesn't want to do. I _am _using correctly, aren't I?"

"Uh, you are actually, but it's not a very nice term. It's not something you usually use in polite company, Mase. So I wouldn't go around using it. Okay? Meanwhile, I'll speak to Mikey about his language." That was one conversation I was not looking forward to and I groaned inwardly at the thought of possibly another parent teacher conference with Mr. or Mrs. Spewton.

"So, what _does_ it mean?" Edward cleared his throat and I squirmed under Masen's questioning gaze. Thankfully, Edward came to the rescue.

"I'll explain it later. After Bella leaves."

"Um, okay, Dad."

"Finish up those few dishes and then come hang out with us in the living room, ok, buddy?"

"Will do."

**~oOo~**

The rest of the night went relatively smoothly. Edward and I sat on the couch and finished our wine while Masen finished the dishes. I felt bad, but Edward assured me that this was one of Masen's household chores. While we were alone he told me about talking with Emmett and Esme earlier and I told him about Esme calling me. He made certain I felt comfortable with going and I assured him that I was. Mini joined us not long afterward and asked if he could take Darcy down to the beach to play Frisbee. I almost agreed but then remembered that the mutt had already had one bath today, and I doubted he'd want a second.

We all agreed to watch a movie instead. Mini tried to get Edward to let him watch Jerry Maguire, and Edward refused. We settled on _Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium_. I snuggled on the couch with the older Cullen, while the younger got comfy on the floor with Mr. Darcy. Before the movie's end, Masen had his head propped on the beast's chest. The rhythmic rise and fall must have been too much for the Little Man, because when the closing credits rolled over the screen he was out cold. Edward scooped up his son and with a nod of his head, motioned for me to follow. We walked back to Masen's room and I watched from the doorway as the man I adored gently laid Masen down on the bed and tucked him in.

"Shouldn't you change his clothes?" I whispered even though Edward had closed the door behind us.

"Naw, he's a boy. They sleep fully clothed all the time. He'll probably wake up at some point and change anyway. So, wanna go back and watch another movie, and by 'watch another movie' I mean make out or wanna go back to my room and make out?"

"Wow, so many varied choices, Mr. Cullen. You really know how to show a girl a good time. Are those my only options? Make out or... make out?"

"Well, I did show you a pretty fucking amazing time earlier. And if you'd prefer to return to the kitchen for a command performance, then I'm all for that too." He moved like he was going to head in that direction, but I pulled him to a stop and tugged him to me. My arms circled his neck and his, my waist.

"As tempting as the offer is, I think one dry hump in the kitchen a day is enough for me, thank you."

"So where should I dry hump you next, Miss Swan?"

I shook my head at him, "No more dry humping tonight, I'm afraid."

"Ooooh, this sounds promising! I say we just head straight for the bedroom, less travel time that way." A quick glance at my watch showed that it was quarter past ten.

"As tempting as all this smooth talking is, love, I have one sleepy mutt to get home, not to mention that I have a big day tomorrow."

Edward tried his best to convince me to stay, if even for a little while longer. By the time I made it out of there it was nearly eleven o'clock and I was a disheveled mess. Not to mention that I left minus an article of clothing -- my underwear. He insisted that if I wasn't going to stay, then I needed to leave something behind for him to remember me by. I tried to remind him that he still had the Pyrex pan I had baked the cake in, but he said he was hoping for something a little more "intimate." Before I knew what was happening, the man had my thong off and was tucking it into his shorts pocket. He then proceeded to "make it worth my while." That man's mouth was more magical than Harry Potter's wand.

**~oOo~**

_**One last note:**__ I'm working on a little something extra at the suggestion of a few of my fav Tweeps. It will only be posted over at Ride's website, so if you're interested in reading it then you should follow me on Twitter for updates and alerts. I tweet a lot of crap, but I try to make it funny crap. Try to. My name in the Twitterverse is __**Forever_Liz.**_


	14. Dinner and Dumb Moves

_**A/N: Thank you to the usual suspects: TwilightMundi (The Grammar Guru), DizzyGirl28 (Darth Beta), and Tellingmelies (my beloved Muesy)! **_

_**All things Twilight still belong to SM. I get the kid and dog...**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**~oOo~**

**EPOV**

She tried to argue with me and drive herself to Cullen Family Sunday Dinner, but I wouldn't hear any of that shit. We were going together and that was the end of the discussion. It wasn't as if I didn't think she could get herself there, for cripes sake! I just wanted the first time she came for dinner with the family to be on my arm. Could you blame a guy for wanting to properly introduce the woman he loves to his family? Not to mention that I didn't want Bella walking into that lion's den without me by her side. At least, not until I had the chance to stare down my asshat of a brother and make sure he knew that Bella was sacred ground.

I picked her up and she, Masen, and I all rode to my parents' house together. The mood in the car was lighthearted, with the top down and the music up. Bella sitting next to me with that pie in her lap (which I told her she didn't have to make), and my son in the backseat, a huge ass grin on his face like the cat that had just eaten the fucking canary. Of all the reactions I imagined him having upon hearing the news that Bella and I were dating, I never imagined that he'd be this excited about the situation.

When we got to Mom and Dad's, he crashed through the door with his usual, "We're here!" But this time with the added, "And we brought _Bella_!" My heart could have burst from the fucking joy I heard ringing in his voice. Once again, I wondered why we had waited to tell him, but then I remembered a conversation Bella and I had about this very topic last night as we stood next to her car before she left my condo.

_"You know, I've never seen him so happy. It's clear that he adores you. I was really kind of surprised by the way he handled the news about us, though I guess it shouldn't have been. Not much fazes that kid of mine." Bella lifted her mouth to mine and pressed a sweet, lingering kiss to my lips. _

_"Why were you surprised? How did you expect him to react?"_

_"I'm not sure, but he's just so accepting of it all. No questions, no concerns. I'm just in awe of him, as usual. I don't deserve that kid. He made me wonder why we even waited to tell him in the first place."_

_"We waited because neither of us was ready to tell him yet. That reason alone is enough to justify our decision. Plus, I happen to think that part of the reason that boy upstairs is so at ease with our relationship is because he has been watching us together twice a week for the past three months. Kids are smart, especially yours. We may not have been making out in front of him, but kids have a way of picking up on things. Masen knew something was going on between us, even if he couldn't articulate it. Give the munchkin more credit. He's his father's son, after all." _

_With one last kiss and plea on my part to get her to stay, I watched as Bella slipped into her car with Mr. Darcy on the seat next to her. I leaned in Bella's window and gave the beast a pat, "Take care of our girl, D." He answered with a low bark that I took for a "Hell, yeah." The mutt was growing on me._

Bella and I followed Masen into my parent's house. Of course Alice was right there to greet us. She pulled her friend into a hug after taking the pie from Bella's hands. Their friendship was another pleasant surprise for me. I loved how, little by little, Bella was winning the hearts of my family members. I introduced Bella to Mom and Dad, who warmly welcomed my girl into their home and put her at ease. Rose was next to meet her, and I was surprised when she hugged Bella as well. Rose wasn't always the warmest person, but she seemed to have already taken a liking to woman who had captured my heart.

The women all trooped into the kitchen where Mom put Bella's cooking skills to good use. Dad, Masen, and I went to the family room to sit and watch some football. Dad and Masen got comfortable on the couch while I sat in the arm chair I usually claimed, which also just happened to have a perfect view into the kitchen. It was a good twenty minutes before I realized that Emmet and Jasper were missing.

"Hey, where are Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb? They aren't planning on missing the requisite Cullen Family Sunday Dinner are they?" My father's eyes never left the obscenely large flat screen T.V. when he answered smugly, "Have you ever known your brother Emmett to miss a meal? Especially a free one?"

"Point made. So where are the Tweedle Twins?"

"Your mother sent them to the store to get some last minute provisions for dinner. They should be back soon. _NO! Come On, Ref! Open your eyes! That hit was all kinds of yellow flag wrong_!" My son and I exchanged amused grins while my father raged at the refs.

About that time, Bella came into the room with three bottles in her hands. Her grin was stunning as she declared, "The bar wench has arrived with libations for the men folk!" She handed Dad and me beers and Masen a root beer.

I pulled her down onto my lap as she passed by me again. "Come here, wench, and watch some ball with us!" Bella let out a little squeal. I made a mental note to make her do that more often, it was pretty fucking cute.

"I can't, sweetie, I'm busy helping your mom and sisters in the kitchen. You know, girl bonding and all? Now let me up, you rogue, or there'll be no dinner for you!"

"Please, they can manage on their own for a minute! Stay in here with me for a little while." Bella snickered at my pathetic attempts at persuading her to stay perched in my lap.

"Wow, Cullen, you want some cheese with that whine?"

"I am not whining! I'm just pleading my case. What's so wrong with wanting to spend a lazy afternoon with my girlfriend?" Okay, maybe I was whining, and behaving like a two year old, but I was beginning to get a little irritated. What was the problem with her hanging out with us for five fucking minutes? Leave it to my girl to call me on my shit.

"Awww! Poor baby! What's wrong, wittle Eddie? You're not gettin' your way? Should I call the Waaaaambulance?" She dropped a sweet kiss on my pouting lips to soften her teasing words. My dad and MM were being smart and keeping their opinions and comments to themselves, pretending to watch the game. Dad started yelling at the screen again, and Masen joined him in this round of rants. With one more chaste kiss, Bella moved to get up from my lap. Reluctantly, I let her up, but grabbed her hand before she could move away and placed a kiss on the inside of her wrist. I fucking loved showing her I adored her. "Come back to me soon, okay?"

"As soon as I can, love."

It was then that I heard the kitchen door open and the booming voice of my brother as he announced, "I'm baaaaaack! You miss me, biotches?"

"Watch your mouth, Emmett McCarthy Cullen! Or I'll wash it out with soap!"

"Aw, Ma! 'Biotches' isn't a bad word. It's just slang for-"

"I know what it's slang for, Emmett. That's why I don't like it. How would you feel if someone called your sister or Rose or me that name? Would you still be okay with it?"

"Hell no! I'd kick their ass!"

"Again, language, Emmett! So, if you wouldn't want to hear someone else say it, then why would you?" It sounded like Mom was chiding an eleven year old Emmett. It was funny shit to listen to.

"Yes, Mom." I couldn't see everything from where I sat but I had a fairly good view of the kitchen. Emmett put the bags he'd brought in down on the counter as Jasper stumbled in behind him with three times the bags Em had carried in.

"Geeze, Em, you'd think the dude the size of a gorilla would carry in the bulk of the bags, but noooooo! You let the scrawny Texan do all the heavy liftin'!" Jasper dropped his burden on the floor, not even bothering to try to place it on the counter. One by one he started unloading the contents like a dutiful son. _ Kiss ass._ Alice walked over to Jazz and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek before turning her attention back to her task.

"What's your problem, Jazz? I thought Texans did everything bigger and better?"

"I'm a Texan, dammit! Not a freaking Sherpa*! While you, on the other hand, are a lazy, oversized waste of muscles." Jazz shoved my big lug of a brother good and hard and Emmett shoved him right back.

"Oh, shut your pie hole, bean pole. Speaking of pie…" The bottomless pit that is my brother noticed the pie Bella made and made a move to stick his stumpy finger in it when Alice smacked his hand.

"Hey! That's for after dinner, and nobody's gonna wanna eat that if you stick those sausage links you call fingers in there. No telling where they've been!"

"Ouch, Allie-Cat! My hands are clean! Besides, I just wanted to test it for quality control purposes. Who made it anyway?"

"Bella did!" She motioned for my girl over to the side of the kitchen they were on. She'd been over near the sink chopping vegetables for Esme's salad. "You remember Bella from the Halloween party, right?"

Emmett managed to drag his eyes from the pie long enough to look at Bella. It took a second, but then recognition lit behind his eyes. "Dorothy! Hey, how are you? It's about time Allie invited you to one of these family things." Typical of my brother, he gathered Bella up into his massive arms and proceeded to try to squeeze the life out of her.

"Ugh. Can't. Breathe. Emmett."

"Oh, sorry, Dot!" He let her go but kept one arm draped over her shoulders. It looked like she was struggling to support the weight of the world rather than Em's tree trunk of an arm.

"Her name's Bella, not Dot, you imbecile, and stop trying to crush my best friend." Alice rescued Bella from Emmett's hold and glared at him. Bella, meanwhile, went back to chopping veggies. I could just barely see her from where I sat. Em went over to kiss and hug Rose then moved across the room to stand next to Bella. He leaned back against the counter and picked at the progress she'd made, slowly diminishing the pile of carrots and tomatoes.

"So, Dot, how've ya been? Haven't seen you since the party. What's new?"

"Well, not too much, Boy Wonder, I've been busy teaching. You do remember that I'm a teacher, right? Masen's teacher, actually." My brother snickered at her snarky reference to his "Super Man" costume from the party, but didn't try to correct her.

"Yeah, I think I remember something about you being a music teacher..."

"Huh! I'm a hell of a lot more than just a music teacher." Em's hands went up, and waved in front of him protectively.

"Okay, okay! Don't get your panties in a bunch. I'm sure you're a great at macaroni art and paint by numbers, too." I could imagine Bella rolling her eyes at that comment. I could see the pile of veggies she'd been working on little by little disappearing into the gaping cavern of Em's mouth.

"Hey, Em," she mused.

"Yeah, Bells?" Bella's head snapped up to look at him, and then went back to chopping.

"Did Alice tell you that I have a famous uncle?"

"No, she didn't. Do I know him?"

"Maybe... he did the Ginsu knives commercials. And he taught me everything he knows."

"Really? How about showing me some of that fancy knife work, BellaPepper?"

"You keep calling me those ridiculous names and eating my veggies and I'm gonna go all Ginsu on your rear end. Got it? And keep your nubs off my veggies, or they're liable to end up as garnish in the salad." She waved the knife in the air for effect.

"Geesh, B! Ever considered anger management? You might even benefit from some hypnosis sessions. I hear those work too."

"Whatever, ya big ape."

"Man, talk about moody! You should meet my brother, Edward. You two would be perfect for each other: Mister and Miss Broody Knickers."

Jazz, who had opted to join the men, sat on the couch with Dad and MM. Every time Em would give Bella a smart ass answer Jazz would look over at me, checking, I'm sure, that I wasn't about to launch myself at the asstard I called brother. It was after the "Knickers" comment that I chose to join them in the kitchen.

"Hey, bro, I was just talking about you! Have you met Bella yet? She was at the Halloween party..." I strolled up behind the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen and wrapped my arms tightly around her waist. I buried my face deep in her neck and inhaled deeply. Then, with a glance to be sure the asstard was watching, began slowly peppering her neck, shoulders, back, anywhere her skin was bare, with kisses.

"Um... I guess that's a yes?"

Bella giggled and wrapped her arms over mine, leaning back into my affections.

"Yeah, Em. We've met."

"Wait, you're with Dorothy?" His eyes flipped back and forth between the two of us incredulously.

"Yep, Einstein. For a few months now." I probably shouldn't have taken so much pleasure in the way all this was going down, but fuck me, his expression was priceless. Alice and Mom had been quietly watching the whole thing play out and Alice busted out laughing.

"What? What's so damn funny, you tiny troll?" She tried to stop laughing long enough to explain, but only succeeded in snorting. Eventually she managed to squeak out an intelligible reply.

"Your face, Em! You look like a lemon that ate an Atomic War Head. Could it be any more sour?"

"Shut. It. Are you telling me I'm the only one who didn't know about these two love birds?" Rose joined in the fun of antagonizing her husband.

"Yep."

"Nice. What is this, 'Leave Emmett in the Dark Day?'"

"Something like that," Rose patted his arm patronizingly. Emmett looked like a lost puppy dog whose squeaky toy had just been run through a shredder. "Don't be sad, sweetie. Mom, Dad, and I just found out today, too. Seems Allie and Jazz have been holding out on us."

"Hold on... _MINI, get in here munchkin_," Emmett bellowed for my son to come into the kitchen. My son joined us and stood next to where I cuddled his teacher and friend. "Did you know about this, too," his uncle demanded. He looked at us together and his eyes sparkled, then turned to the oaf in front of us.

"Yeah, Uncle Em, it's kinda freaking obvious. I _am_ his son and her student; I'm on the 'People Who Need to Know' list. Obviously."

Bella snickered at Masen sassing his uncle. Emmett glared at her and growled, "Watch it! I'll get you, my pretty- and your little dog, too."

Masen was quick to defend our girl. "Her dog isn't so little, Uncle Em, and I wouldn't mess with Mr.D if I were you. He has a mean growl and I bet if you pissed him off his bite would be pretty nasty, too."

God I loved my son!

**~oOo~**

The men had been relegated to the family room once again. Anyone with a Y chromosome was banished from the Land of Delectable Delights, and I'm not just referring to the food. It sucked to be told I had to leave Bella's side just so the women could have their time, but I followed orders and reclaimed my earlier seat. Hell, if I couldn't be near her then I was going to at least be able to see her. Dad and my brothers claimed the couch while Mini sprawled out on the floor. Em leaned over and socked me on the arm. Hard.

"Ow! What the hell, asstard? What was that for?"

"For keeping secrets from your big bro, pretty boy. You know better than to try to hide shit from me. Remember, I warned you weeks ago"

The next few minutes passed in silence. The sounds from the game and the soft, hushed voices and laughter floated from the kitchen, filling the air. Masen hopped up and went into the kitchen to get another root beer and to be near Bella, I'm sure. I loved that he adored her as much as I did.

Emmett leaned close to me once again, and I had to consciously stop myself from flinching away from him. Only pussies flinch. Surprisingly, he didn't punch me. No, the ass wanted to talk. He could be such a chick sometimes.

"Soooo, you've been playin' 'hide the salami' with the teacher, Edwardo? I had no idea you 'had it in you.' But I can't say I 'blame you,' if I didn't have Rosie, I'd be so 'hot for teacher!'"

I'd never seen so many air quotes used in one statement in my entire life. For a minute I thought his fingers might fall off from overuse.

"Oh, shut the fuck up, asshat, and stop using air quotes. You look like you have Tourrette's ," I hissed.

"You kiss our mother with that mouth? You had best watch your potty mouth, Eddie. Mom will have your hide if she hears you talking like that."

"Shut it. You're one to talk; if I have a potty mouth then yours is the fucking sewer!"

"True. But don't try to distract me, tell me all about the teacher. Does she smack you with her ruler? Does she wear sexy ass heels and those dark rimmed glasses? Those are hot, bro!"

I couldn't help but picture Bella in heels, wearing sexy glasses and slapping her open palm with a ruler. I was instantly hard just thinking about Teacher Bella and the ways she could school me. Then it occurred to me that my pervert of a brother was probably picturing the same thing. Well, close to it. I decided to make it very clear that shit wasn't gonna fly. I shifted in my seat getting even closer to him and crooked my finger for him to do the same. When we were inches apart I sent him a clear warning.

"Emmet, listen closely, 'cause I'm only saying this once. It is none of your fucking business where I hide my salami, so just don't go there. And since we're on the topic of my love life, I think it's only fair for me to warn you that if you so much as make my woman uncomfortable with your asinine comments and juvenile jokes, I will not hesitate to ensure that you won't be enjoying any conjugal visits with your wife. Because I will kick you so hard in the nads that they'll permanently reside next to your spleen. Got that?"

"Easy there, muffin! No need to get your panties in a wad, I was just curious."

Before I could remind him to mind his own fucking bee's wax, Mom called us all to the table.

"Dinner's served, boys!"

I shot one last warning look at Emmett to keep his big trap shut. He made like he was making out with the back of his arm, and I flipped him a bird. I tucked my hand into my pocket just as Mom turned around and tried to look innocent. It probably looked more like I was constipated, though. I never could "do" innocent.

All the men filed into the dining room as the women folk were setting the last of the dishes on the table. Cullen Family Sunday Dinner was always a big deal; no one ever missed it unless it was an emergency or they were dead. We all took our usual places at the table. Bella sat between Masen and me, right where she belonged. The plates of food were passed around and conversation filled in the silences between the clinks and dings of silverware on china. Mom always insisted on using the good stuff. She said it made the weekly meal special.

Mom spoke to Mini from across the table, "Masen," she never called him by his nicknames, always Masen, "How's school coming, sweetie?"

"Really well, Grandma. We're doing this awesome group project for music appreciation."

"Well, tell me about it then!"

Mini looked to Bella, seeking reassurance. She smiled down at him and elbowed him gently in the ribs. He squeaked a little before looking back to his grandmother.

"We have to pick a popular modern song and remake it. We can put our own spin on it, or simply sing it straight, but we have to play all the instruments ourselves, and record the music and lyrics in the studio at school."

"That sounds very interesting, MM," Rose interjected. "Sounds like you have a pretty amazing teacher." She punctuated her compliment with a wink.

"Yeah, she's okay, I _guess_." My son returned Bella's nudge.

"Hey! I definitely rate at least a 'cool' on the teacher-meter. Watch it or I might make you regret those words!"

"Sure, B. Whatcha gonna do? Make me stand up and do the Macarena in front of the whole class?"

"Pft! No way! Worse- the chicken dance," Bella deadpanned.

Mini's eyes got huge, and then he turned back to the conversation with his grandmother. Bella mussed his hair to reassure him that she was kidding. The entire table was intently watching their interaction. Alice and Rose were grinning like two Cheshire cats. Emmett was smirking behind his fist, his fork dangerously close to poking his own eye out. I swear, that guy was a menace to himself and society. Jazz was nodding and Dad exchanged knowing glances with Mom. They were all falling for her. Like they had a choice. She's irresistible!

"Anyway, like I was saying... It's a really fun project, and if we want extra credit then we can film a music video to go with the song."

"What song did your group choose, M?" Jazz seemed very interested in my son's fourth grade music project.

"We picked the best song ever!"

I was just as interested because he hadn't told me that they'd picked a song yet, "Yeah, Me, what did you end up choosing?"

"Are you ready for this? It's _off the hook good,_" he wiggled in his chair to sit up straighter. "'Ice, Ice Baby' by Vanilla Ice!"

I nearly choked on my bite of potatoes. The rest of the table erupted in similar sounds and guffaws. Everyone minus Bella and my son, that is. Those two weren't in on the joke.

"What's so freaking funny about 'Ice, Ice Baby'?" Masen demanded.

"I'm not sure, sweetie. Apparently we aren't in on the inside joke." Bella said.

Nothing, sweetie," my mother soothed. "Your aunts and uncles are just recalling a less than stellar moment in their shared history."

"What are you talking about, Grandma?"

"Your grandma's right, it's really nothing, Mini. Don't worry about it," I interjected.

"No, Dad! I want to know why everyone's laughing."

He obviously wasn't going to let this one go, so I thought maybe he'd be happy with part of the embarrassing truth.

"Well, when we were younger your uncles, a few of our friends, and I made our own video and I'm sure they were just remembering that, _right_ guys?" Everyone nodded in agreement.

I thought to myself, _Thank fuck that was over and now we could get back to-_

"What song, Dad?"

"Huh?"

"What song did you make a video for when you were younger? And how old were you guys?"

Damn! My son was way smarter than I gave him credit for. I looked around the table for some support from my brothers in fuckery. That's a hell of a lot like brothers at arms, but much less cool. They just stared back at me, no help whatsoever. Finally, after several moments of silence and countless glances that were shot back and forth across the table, I relented and told him. With a deep, centering breath, I huffed out the _whole _truth.

"Mase, when your uncles and I were in high school we made a video for a popular song..."

"Yeah, I got that part, what was the song, Dad?"

"'Ice, Ice, Baby.'"

"No way!"

"Believe it, little man, your dad was quite the Vanilla Ice fan!"

_Could my asstard of a brother ever keep his big mouth shut?_

"Really, Dad? I'm surprised!"

"Oh, yeah! He had the fade, slashed brows, baggy pants, and all!"

Apparently, not only could Em not shut the fuck up, but he felt it was his personal mission to destroy what little street cred I had in my own damn home. Both my woman and my son had front row seats to the "Emasculation of Edward Cullen." Fun times.

"No way," Mase continued; his dinner abandoned, forgotten.

"Yes, way! He had all the moves down cold! We thought he was gonna give himself whiplash with all the head flailing and chicken flapping he was doing. It kinda looked like a Cornish hen having a seizure when he would dance. It was the funniest fucking thing I've ever seen!"

Yep, he was out to decimate me.

"Emmett McCarthy Cullen. You use that manner of language at my table again, your butt will be so sore you won't be able to sit for two weeks, got it?"

"Yeah. Sorry, ma. But it was hilarious, Mini! I think we might even have the video still. We can look for it after dinner."

He winked conspiratorially at the fruit of my loins. After nearly ten years of unwavering adoration, my clusterfuck of a brother finally succeeded in turning my only begotten son against me. Masen's eyes twinkled at the thought of seeing the video. Promises were vowed to dig up the offending leg humper of a video after dinner and watch it. I'd never hated my brother more. But as the saying goes, "Don't get mad, get fucking even!"

"Like you have room to talk, DJ EmC-Squared!" Yeah, I threw my brother under the bus. Hell, if I was going down so was he! He was just as much a poser as I was back in the day. I was about to make sure my entire family remembered that piece of info, too.

Masen looked at Emmett, his mouth hanging open. The kid was speechless. Maybe even for the first time in his life.

"Don't believe a word your old man says, Mini. He's just trying to deflect attention from himself."

"Not true, Em. You know very well, you were an aspiring DJ. He was so cute behind his little turntables, wearing his thick chains, and let me tell you, he could rock the Hammer pants!"

"Hey now! Don't knock the Hammer Pants! They were fu- uh, freaking awesome! I still have a pair of them in my closet."

"No, you don't," Rose cut in without looking up from her plate.

"Yeah, I do, babe. In the back where I keep all my old Halloween costumes. Maybe you've never seen the magnificent magic Hammer pants, but they_ are_ in there. If you're really good I may even put them on for ya later."

"No, they aren't. And I've seen them. In fact, the last time I saw them was the day after Halloween when I was putting away your costume. I found them shoved in a back corner, and I may have _thrownthemaway_..." It took that information a few seconds to sink in for Em, as the last words of her confession were mumbled and ran together. The moment he did catch on registered clearly on his face as shock and disbelief.

"Rosie! You did _what_? Please tell me that you're joking! There's no way you could have thrown those out! They were a part of history!"

"So were pet rocks, but you don't hear of people stashing them in the back corners of their closets. Baby, they were a part of history best forgotten. Move on."

Emmett looked like someone had killed his cat. I kinda felt bad for the fucker. He really loved his cats; he was a pussy man. Slowly, he picked up his fork and began eating again.

Suddenly, Emmett said to Bella, "So, BellyButton, it's obvious you're uber into my brother and his spawn; what are your thoughts on the Wicked Bitch of the West moving back here?"

I froze. The table went silent. Alice dropped her fork and it clanged against the plate. But that was the only sound other than the occasional breath. I looked at the woman next to me just as she looked up to me, a questioning, pleading look on her face. We could all see that she was confused. Who could blame her, seeing as I hadn't told her yet that Jess was moving back. I could only imagine what was going through her mind.

Emmett looked around to the assortment of faces staring open mouthed at him.

"What? Why's everyone looking at me like that? I just asked a simple que- Oh. Wait. Bella didn't know yet did she? Aw, fuck!"

Bella's eyes met mine and we locked gazes. No one spoke for a moment. Then she shifted in her seat to face me. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Edward, what is your brother talking about? Am I hearing him correctly? Did he just say that your ex-wife is moving back into town?"

I thought to myself, _Well, I guess now is as good a time an any to tell the woman I adore that the woman I despise and secretly think is the devil incarnate, is moving to the same zip code that we live in._

"Bella, I'd wanted to tell you about this, but the timing was never right. I wanted to wait until I'd told Masen first and I_ just_ told him yesterday. I know I should have told you sooner but I was stalling..."

"But why, Edward? Why didn't you just tell me? When is the timing ever right for this kind of conversation? Do you think _now_ is really the optimal time to be having this discussion? I sure as hell don't." Her voice was calm, but firm. I had the distinct feeling this was her "teacher voice."

"No, of course not, sweetie. I never imagined this conversation going this way."

"Well, then when? How? Did you plan to do it over a romantic dinner one night? Or would a stroll through the plaza have been more appropriate? Or were you just not going to tell me at all and hope I didn't notice when a woman who looks a lot like your son starts showing up at Parent Nights at school?"

She was getting more upset with each scenario. I took her face gently in both of my hands, trying to get her to listen to me.

"Babe, I know this is upsetting, but let's go in the other room so you can yell at me all you want in private, okay?"

I wanted her to be able to say whatever the fuck she needed to me without all those eyes on her. Even if she was going to be mad as hell at me. I took her hand and silently pleaded with her to follow me as I stood. To my shock and horror she resisted. She pulled me back down onto my chair.

"No, Edward. Sit down. Let's not ruin dinner over this. We can talk about it later. Just... just tell me everything's gonna be okay."

All the anger had just melted away. What remained was insecurity. It was dripping from her voice and it nearly killed me to hear how it pooled around each pause. I caressed her cheek with my knuckles, just the faintest brush against the blush that had bloomed there. With every fiber of my being I assured her, "Sweetie, I promise you this: everything will be fine. Jessica's moving into town will not change anything, understand? And we can talk about this as much or as little as you want, just say the word. But I assure you, Jess will have little impact on our lives."

She leaned into my touch, her eyes closing briefly. When they opened, the self assured, spitfire of a woman I knew and loved was back.

"Okay, then. We can discuss this later," she said, looking around at my family members. "I'm sorry I interrupted dinner. I hope my outburst didn't ruin anyone's appetite."

Rose spoke first, "Absolutely not, Bella. _You_ didn't ruin my appetite; that was destroyed earlier when the guys were describing Edward in his Vanilla Ice stage. Ugh, think I'm gonna be sick just thinking about it."

After that, dinner went pretty smoothly. Bella and I held hands under the table when we could. Everyone took turns asking her questions about herself and her family. She answered all their questions and asked them a few as well. Her mood improved and lightened as the dinner went on. Occasionally I'd feel her fingers brush against the denim on my thigh, her touch sending shock waves of electricity shooting through me and straight to my groin. At one point I shifted uncomfortably in my chair, trying to subtly readjust the bulge in my jeans. I wondered if Bella was getting as turned on as I was.

_Puppies and Grammy. Puppies and Grammy and splinters being rammed under my finger nails. Puppies and Grammy and splinters under the nails and a kick to the nads._

I tried chanting in my head the things I thought were the farthest things from turn-ons, but Edwardo was still eager to see Bella's lady bits. I had a feeling that he'd gone past the point of no return; the only thing capable of getting him to stand down now was either being buried in my woman or the shock of a near tragedy. And since this area wasn't known for its bear population, and the chances of my brother being mauled by one were slim to none, I started plotting how and where I could sneak Bella away from the others. Even of just for a few moments. I just needed her hands on me. That was when her fingers, which had been tracing innocent enough circles on my thigh, brushed against my erection. My traitor body jerked in my seat and I gasped. I shot her a warning look but she wasn't paying any attention to me. When she did finally look at me she simply winked and palmed my length through my pants. And in the time it took me to realize what the little minx was up to, her hand retreated to the safe circles it had been carving into my leg. I looked at her, in a way that could only be interpreted as the "What-the-fuck-are-you-thinking-giving-me-a-stiffy-at-the-dinner-table-in-front-of-my-family" look. She just winked again and gave my thigh a gentle squeeze. Fuck how I wished that was my dick she was squeezing and not my thigh! The dinner conversation continued, the rest of the table blissfully unaware of the delicious torture I was being subjected to right under their forks.

**~oOo~**

After dinner the Cullen men, Jasper included, cleaned the dishes. It was tradition, and it seemed only fair. Besides, how hard was it to load a fucking dishwasher anyway? The women took Bella around the house and showed her the house. She hadn't seen much of it during the Halloween party and the few rooms she had seen were littered with death and dismemberment.

Once we had finished up in the kitchen, the cleanup crew went out to the pool house to change into their suits. This was another tradition when the weather permitted: either the beach or the pool. I went looking for Bella after I changed into my suit. I had her bag in hand as I jogged up the stairs. I heard the laughter coming from the third floor and had a pretty good clue they were in or near my old room. Mom had kept all of our rooms as we had left them after we left. All but Alice's. The vertically challenged diva had insisted that her room be made over to suit her more mature tastes. I smirked as I passed the open door to Alice's room, seeing the browns and blues that covered the space. I stopped at the entry to my room and chuckled at the sight of my mother, sisters and the woman I loved hovering over old yearbooks, baby albums, and memorabilia spread across the bed. I looked around at the walls, still peppered with posters of my favorite bands at the time. Trophies and medals sat on shelves, some from when I was a small boy, younger than my son, others from high school and college. Stashed between the accolades of victories past were my Transformers and G.I. Joes. After a few moments of standing there the ladies looked up to see me resting against the door. The wise women in my life took my presence as their cue to leave. They excused themselves, assuring B that they would see her downstairs.

Once the room had cleared out of all but my beautiful girl I went to her and stood before her. She spanned the few feet that separated us instantly, not hesitating even a second. Her arms went around my waist, her hands sliding up my back and hooking up over my shoulders, pulling me tightly to her. Her deep sigh was a contented one, as if she had needed this contact all through dinner. I wrapped her in my arms, burying my face in her dark hair and inhaling her scent. We stood like that in silence for a long while before I broke the peace and manned up.

"Bella? I'm really sorry, baby," I murmured into her neck, "I should have told you about Jess when I first found out she was coming. It was really stupid to keep it from you. Will you forgive your asshat of a boyfriend?"

Silence. Nothing. Not a sniffle, not a "yes" or a "no," not a tirade of curse words. Fucking _nothing_.

_This is so not what I was expecting. I wish she'd say something, anything!_

I tried to encourage a response from her, "Bella, honey, whaddya say? Forgive me?"

"I'm thinking..."

"Thinking? About whether or not you forgive me?"

_Fuck. I was in more trouble than I thought._

"Pretty much. I mean, I forgive you. Of course I forgive you, but I'm thinking about what I want, no, need to say to you."

She stepped back, still keeping her arms tight around my middle, and asked if we could sit. I guided us to sit on the edge of the bed and we laid down. She tucked into my side where she belonged. I waited patiently for her to start. After a loud sigh she began.

"Edward, I can understand why you didn't tell me about Jess at first, really I can. I think what bothers me is that you failed to tell me after it was clear that she was definitely moving. I know we jumped into this relationship quickly, getting serious early on. We've only just now told your family, but I would think that this is something you would have shared with me. It affects both of us, greatly. Actually it has the potential to affect '_us_.' So, can you see where this would upset me?"

I really did see her point, but in my defense I didn't intentionally keep her in the fucking dark. It just looked that way.

"Bella, I was wrong. I handled this all wrong, and I am sorry for that, but I never wanted to keep this from you. I did plan on telling you, believe me, I did. At first I just hoped that she'd change her mind and not move. When it was obvious that wasn't happening I knew I had to tell Masen. I figured he should be one of the first to know. Once I told him then I had planned on telling you. I only just told him yesterday, right after we talked about you.

"I hate that you found out like you did, and believe me, the first chance I get I'm gonna give that fucker brother of mine an Indian burn for that shit he pulled at dinner, but I am glad that you know. Now we can decide how we will handle her moving back. As a family."

I felt her hold her breath. I wondered if I'd said the wrong shit. When she released the air trapped in her lungs she whispered my last words, "As a family.

"I haven't been a part of a real family since the accident. After Reese died everything… everything just fell apart. We were never the same again. We loved each other, but we couldn't ever see past our own individual pain to be together, like before. I'm not sure I know how to be that anymore. What if I can't? I don't want to hurt you or Masen. I love you too much to do that."

I gasped at her words. The honesty and fear was thick in her voice. The insecurity I had seen at dinner returned, and the strong, fearless woman faded into a scared little girl. I realized how hard that must have been for her to say, even to me. She had just told me she loved me. For the first time. It made my heart soar and pound against my ribs. Then it struck me: not only did she love me, she loved my son. She wanted to protect us both. Not just from the Wicked Bitch of the West, but from anything that might hurt us; even herself. But I knew she never could. She was worried over nothing.

I shifted us, and pulled her against my chest, so she could feel the pounding of my heart. I prayed to God that she heard what I was about to tell her and believed it.

"Bella, you could never hurt us. I hate that your family was torn apart by a terrible tragedy and that you lost the one person you were closest to in this world, but baby, you can be part of a family. You already are. Sure it's brand new, but we're yours for the taking. If you'll have us."

Her hand, resting on my chest over my heart, fisted the thin cotton of my t-shirt. I sat us up so I could look in her eyes.

"I love you, Bella Swan. I love and adore you. And I happen to know of at least one other Cullen man who feels the same way. We love you, sweetie, and we know that you love us. Are you ready to be part of a family again? Because it's not just us two adorable guys you'll be getting. The whole clan of clusterfucks down there come with us. Think you're ready for that?" I paused, hesitant. "I know it's a little early for this kind of discussion."

_Oh, god! Please be ready for that! Say you want us as much as we want you._

Tears streamed down her face. I gently brushed them away. Taking her face in my hands I kissed each cheek, then her forehead, and finally her sweet lips. When I looked in her eyes again I saw the woman I loved.

"Yes."

"'Yes,' what, Bella? Are you agreeing it's too early or that you want this fucked up family as your own?"

"Yes, I want you. And Masen. And your parents, and your siblings. All of them. I want them."

"Even Emmett? 'Cause, I don't even want him. It_ must_ be love if you want that fucktard."

"Even Emmett. I think. Wait- can I get back to you on Emmett?"

"Sure, baby, we're all still on the fence with Emmett. Except Mom. She's kinda partial to him seeing as she hatched him and all."

We both laughed at the turn the conversation had taken. Then she got quiet again.

"Edward?"

"Yeah, baby?"

She looked at me. I felt like she was looking through my eyes and seeing my soul.

"I love you."

"I know, Sweetie. Say it again."

"I love you, Edward Masen Cullen."

"God, I love that coming from your lips."

"Good, because I plan on saying it a lot now." She nuzzled my neck, covering the skin there with sweet kisses.

"Fuck, yes! Bella?"

"Yes, my love?"

"I love you. So very much."

"Hmmmm, I love that coming from your lips, Mr. Cullen."

"Good, because I plan on saying it quite often."

"In the immortal words of a very wise and eloquent man, 'Fuck, yes!'"

Hearing her swear did wild things to my body, especially my dick. What I wanted to do more than anything at that moment was show her how much I loved her for hours and hours, but I couldn't do that with our entire family downstairs waiting for us. _Our family. _ I loved the way that sounded. So I settled for kissing her to within an inch of her life. Just when things were moving past the kissing/heavy petting stage into the manual stimulation stage, I heard the angelic voice of my devil of a son carry up the stairs.

"Dad! B! Where are you guys? Everyone's already in the pool! Stop smoochin' and get your arses down here!"

Bella answered him, "We'll be right down, Little Man!" She looked at me, adding, "Did your son just say 'arses'?"

"Yep. Probably a result of Emmett's good influence."

She laughed. I loved that sound. I loved this woman. And I would never stop being thankful that she loved me too.

**~oOo~**

Bella quickly changed into her suit and wrapped a long skirt around her waist, tying it at the hip just above her tat. We walked down the stairs hand in hand. Emmett was leaning against the banister at the foot of the stairs, obviously waiting for us. Bella stopped on the first step, almost bringing her eye to eye with the ogre.

"Bells, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Sure thing, big guy. What's shakin'?"

"Well, I...I just...What I want to say is that I know...I mean... DAMN!" Em's hand went to the back of his neck and he looked down at his bare feet.

Bella shot me a look like "What's his problem?" I suppressed a snicker that would surely get me thumped on the head or punched in the arm. I just shrugged instead. Her laugh cut the tension that hung in the air.

"Sorry, Shrek, I don't speak crazy. You're gonna have to spit it out."

He glanced up at her, and seeing her smile, smiled as well. His voice was so quiet when he said, "I'm really sorry for being an ass back there at dinner. I shouldn't have just blurted that out. Sometimes I don't think before I speak. I really need to learn to fucking do that. It would keep me out of a lot of trouble with my wife."

Bella hands went to his shoulders. She said in the sweetest voice, "Hey, it's okay, ya big asstard. I know you didn't mean to upset me. It wasn't your fault that the man I love is a bigger asstard than you and failed to mention that his ex-bitch was moving back into town. Don't beat yourself up over it. Thank you for apologizing, though. I love ya for it."

Her hands slapped against his skin as she dismissed his guilt. Then out of the blue, Emmett suddenly roared in disgust, "Uhhhhh! You just gave me a wet willy!" It was fucking loud, too. His ear was covered by his giant mitt of a hand, his face contorted in what appeared to be pain. Bella squealed and sprung from the stairs darting past us and out to the pool at break-neck speed.

"That's what you get for spilling the beans, Jolly Lame Giant!"

"Get back here! You are so gonna pay for that shit, BellieTubbie," he took off after her and I followed close behind him. Bella shrieked as she tore through the house and out the open doors to the pool. Em caught her just before she could reach the assured safety of the family.

"Gottcha," he flung her over his shoulder and maneuvered her kicking form to the edge of the pool; her screams could probably be heard across the Atlantic. "That shit's just gross, and unsanitary, Bells. You are gonna have to be taught a lesson. It's time for a Cullen Ass Kicking..."

The rest of the family began shouting at him to put her down and not do what we all knew he was planning on doing. Their voices blending with hers as she berated him and pounded on his back.

"Don't even think about it, Emmett Cullen. You put me down right now or you will really feel my wrath. And this time there won't be any childish pranks involved! _Put me DOWN!"_

Without another word, Emmett did just as Bella had commanded him. He heaved her tiny form up over his head and chucked her into the pool like she was no more than a Frisbee. Arms and legs and hair went soaring through the air, then a loud splash sent water lurching out onto the deck. Bella came up gasping and shoving her sopping hair back from her face. She swam to the side and lifted herself from the water, and the image of her wet and pissed gave me a semi. Then again, when didn't something about this woman get me aroused? She prowled over to where my brother and I stood, crooked her finger for him to stoop down to her height, and stage whispered in his ear, "Wrong choice, Hoss. I _will _get you back. It might not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but I assure you, the second you forget that you crossed me will be the instant that sweet justice will rain down on you. Watch your back, Em, 'cause I've got a meat cleaver with your name etched on it." She patted his cheek hard and went to sit near the others.

I wasn't positive, but I thought I saw Emmett shiver.

**~oOo~**

*Sherpa- a Mountain guide in the Himalayan Mountains who carries all the climbers' gear.

**~oOo~**

_**A/N: A shout out to my Pre-Riders: Barburella and FanGirl78. Without you two I'd be a mess. Thanks for all of your support and most of all for your friendship! XOXOXO**_

_**Finally to LumeDog7- thank you for sharing you words and your wisdom, and for my Robraclet. "You just can't help who you love... and I love him so very much!" 3**_

_**I'm on Twitter: Forever_Liz**_

_**Ride's blog addie: **__**http:/the-ride-of-your-life**__** . blogger . com (Remover the spaces, leave the hyphens)**_


	15. Mini's Letter to Riders about the FGB

Dear Riders,

Liz asked me to write you a short letter "on her behalf," whatever the heck that means. She tells me that she's participating in the Fandom Gives Back. Again, I have no clue what that is, but she promises to tell me after I write this. Sounds like blackmail to me. Liz did tell me that FBG is for charity, and raises money for childhood cancer research. So, while I'm clueless about this FGB stuff, I'm all for finding a cure for cancer.

Liz is offering two outtakes from our storyline in Ride. As awesome as that is, it gets better, 'cause I get to tell you about us! You'll hear all the stuff that Dad and Bella won't tell you about our crazy family. Man, I have some serious dirt on these goombas! The other outtake will be told by whomever the winner(s) want to hear from.(Who, whom- I get so confused by that! Gonna need to talk to B about that one.) That could be Aunt Alice, or, god forbid, Uncle Dorkwad (AKA Uncle Em). I, personally, would love to hear things from Mr. Darcy's point of view. I can only imagine what goes on in that mutt's head! Now, Uncle Em? Not so much. I think that'd just be scary and potentially scaring for a kid my age.

Anyway, both Outtakes will be at least six thousand words long, but Lizzy said that if the winning bid is more than $100 then she'd make the minimum ten thousand words. Man, that'a a lot. Of money and words. It's all for a good cause folks!

The auction starts June 26, 2010 and ends July 2, 2010. That's only a week of bidding! But I'm sure with your help we can raise some much needed money to put an end to cancer once and for all. You can join in the fun by logging on to The Fandom Gives Back website (just take out the spaces): www . thefandomgivesback . com Click on stories, then on Lizzy's pen name: Forever Liz. That will take you right to her auctions. I'd bid but I'm not old enough, and Mr. D would too, but he doesn't have opposable thumbs...

Thanks for your time and for helping to bring an end to childhood cancer. Now, log in and pull your wallets out! And as Dad say, "Hold on tight, its gonna be a wild Ride!"

Adorably Yours,

Masen A. Cullen

P.S. Lizzy also asked me to let you all know that Chapter 16 of Ride- "Symphonies and Sleepovers," will be updating this weekend! I wonder if she said anything about me in this chapter?


	16. Symphonies and Sleepovers

_**A/N:**__ Eternal gratitude to my betas__** TwilightMundi **__and __**DizzyGrl28**__. You really don't want to see these chapters before they get their hands and red pens on them. Its a scary dark place..._

_To The Pre-Riders and the Musey: no words, only love. Okay, maybe two words: Thank you. _

_Special thanks to LumeDog7 for her friendship and hugs, _

_**~oOo~**_

_We have a bit of a jump in time here. Don't worry, you'll be brought up to date. I've been informed by the Pre-Riders that this chapter requires two alerts. First the Sham-Wow! alert for the smexy times, and second being the tissue alert for the minor heart fail that comes later. I have already been thoroughly chastised for the sad that is herein contained, but I do not apologize for it. That's Bella's job._

Later in this chapter Bella sings a song called "Gravity." It's a beautiful song that belongs to Sara Bareilles. It's listed in the play list and you can hear it on Playlist(dot)com. Here's a direct link to the chapter playlist(remove the spaces):** www .playlist. com/playlist/20161849099 **I strongly suggest you listen to it prior to reading or at the very least while you're reading. The chapter will make more sense if you do. Thanks!

_**Liz & Barbi's Road Trip playlist**_ for this chapter: _Walking on Sunshine_ by Katrina and the Waves, _Born To Be Wild_ by Steppenwolf, _Paperweight _by Joshua Radin and Schuyler Fisk, _Stardust, Recipe For Love, _and_ What Child Is This_ all by Harry Connick, Jr., _Mission: Impossible_ by Danny Elfman, _Little House_ by Amanda Seyfried, _Gravity_ by Sara Bareilles,

**BPOV **

**~oOo~**

December

We sat side by side in the full sun. That was one of the many perks of Florida living: the scattered warmth of December days. That Saturday was one such day. Edward's bronzed chest glistened in the sun, the dips and swells of his muscled physique a feast for the eyes. Masen had been commandeered by his beloved grandparents and whisked away to the land of happy mice, singing princesses, and "Happily Ever Afters." AKA: Disney World. They assured us that they would have the squirt back in time for Cullen Family Sunday Dinner the next night. Until then, it was just Edward and me. And Mr. Darcy, who was working on his winter tan as well.

The man I loved had informed me a little earlier in the day that he'd bought us tickets to see the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra perform the Holiday Pops. Every year they brought in a big named artist to feature. This year it was Harry Connick, Jr. I. Fucking. Love. Harry. I was floored when he told me. I literally squealed and bounced around the house. Darcy jumped along with me, even though I'm sure he didn't have a clue what we were celebrating. Edward calmly informed me that this was not my Christmas present. _That_ would come on Christmas. This was a spur of the moment night out on the town; just us.

His undergrad students were required to attend a number of musical events and write a paper connecting something they were studying in the course with the performance they had seen and attach their ticket stub as proof of their attendance. This counted as a lab of sorts, and their final grade was dependent on their attendance at such events. This particular event would be considered "extra credit" due to how late in the semester it was. The thought of my tattooed, chopper riding, sex haired man standing at the front of a lecture hall expounding the finer points of advanced music theory to a bunch of underlings did wild things to my nether regions. I decided it would be fun to do wild things to Edward's nether regions, and used that opportunity to play with him a little. You know, like a cat plays with its prey?

"So, can_ I _earn a little extra credit, Professor?" I leaned over to him and trailed my fingers down his bare arm as we sat on my roof deck.

"Fuck, Bella! You keep calling me 'professor' and you're gonna get a fuckton of 'extra credit'!" His voice was teasing, but the look he gave me was clearly warning me that I was on shaky ground. One wrong step and he would see to it that I paid for my wanton ways. Rather than heed his warning I decided to completely ignore it and see how far I could push him. This was always fun. For me, at least.

I moved from the chair I was sunning in and lowered myself sideways into the space between his outstretched legs, my own draped playfully over his arm, trapping it against the arm of his chair. He wrestled it free and cupped it around my bare legs that were slick from perspiration and sunblock.

"Oh, really? How much is a 'fuckton,' exactly? Would that maybe bump my classroom participation grade up to an 'A,'_ Professor_?" My voice started out teasing, but turned seductive when his hand began to slide up and down my outer thigh. It suddenly felt like someone had turned up the heat; the sun beating down much hotter than it had been only moments earlier.

"The term 'fuckton' is a genuine unit of measurement, Ms. Swan-"

"Uh, actually, it's _Dr. _Swan. I fucking earned those three little letters after my name, thank you very much, Professor."

"Oh, well, excuse me then, _Dr. Swan._ The term is an actual unit of measure, used to describe an inordinate amount of something. As you can ascertain, fuckton more than quantifies the level of compensation you'll earn. Providing you continue along this course of study." I'm not exactly sure the why of it, but Edward's "professor voice" had me squirming in my, uh, _his_ seat. It was one thing for him to talk dirty and say bad, naughty things to me, but to go all higher education on me just wasn't playing fair. Granted, I wasn't playing very fairly either, but this was my game at the moment. My game, my rules.

I brushed the tips of my fingers up along his arm and across his chest; swirling them around his nipples and carefully tracing the path the ink on his skin made. He hissed in a breath when I made contact with the sensitive skin there.

"Well, now. Those are some pretty big words for a chopper riding hellion to be spouting, Mr. Cullen."

"Actually, it's _Dr. _Cullen. I fucking earned those three little letters after _my_ name, as well, _Dr. Swan_."

It seemed that he had decided that two could play at my game of cat and mouse; his hand ghosted slowly over my upper thigh to the softer skin on the inside of my leg. Goose bumps rose up along the trail his hand forged. His lips joined in the assault, nipping and pressing at my shoulders. I felt the hair at the nape of my neck stand alert as if awaiting a signal from him to begin tingling. Like some form of sexual Morse Code. Except instead of dots and dashes he used kisses and caresses.

I leaned into his chest, affording me access to his neck. I mimicked every move he made. If he kissed, I kissed. If he licked, I licked. I matched him suck for suck. Each nip of my ear was answered with a nip of my own on his. We were both moaning and humming in pleasure. Slowly I turned to face him, straddling him as he sat back against his lounge chair. My knees came up alongside his hips, his hands encircling them and guiding them. When I lowered my weight down onto him we both gasped at the contact. Edward's hips rose up to meet mine, and he ground his hardening length against me. My hand wove into his silken hair as I pressed down hard where we met, and the sound that rumbled from his chest was deep and feral. The air was filled with the sounds of our bodies taking their pleasure, each from the other. Our breaths came in pants and gasps, our bodies moving against each other as I worked myself over his hard length. Edward's hands made a tangled mess out of my hair; his hips shifted to meet mine. His hands traveled down over my shoulders, to my back, and as they slid around to cup my breasts I arched back into his touch. He pealed back the lycra scraps that covered the aching skin there and replaced them with his mouth and hands. I groaned in pleasure as he hummed against my chest.

I felt the delicious tightening of my impending release, and just as I began to lose myself to the ecstasy that was within my grasp, the beast that lay sleeping quietly a few feet away leapt up from his spot. He rushed to the railing at the front of the house, barking and growling to alert us that we had visitors. It was then that I heard a car door slam shut. My eyes flew open and met Edward's equally surprised look.

"Were you expecting someone?"

"No. I have no clue who that could be," I shrugged. Our faces were mere inches from each other, our breathing mingling the air from our lungs.

"Well, it sounds like we have company." Just then the door bell sounded through the house. "We'd best go see who it is."

"Maybe if we ignore them they'll go away," I tried to reason with the man beneath me, but he insisted that we investigate.

"Let's just go see who it is, then we can send the fuckers packing and get back to where we were. Deal?"

I had no desire to see who was interrupting my mad dry humping and the debut of "Best Fucking Orgasm in the History of Orgasms!" Well, I had no idea if it was or wasn't _that_, but I'd never know now, because the moment was rapidly shifting and the mood was slipping.

"Fine, let's get this over with, but I swear, if it's my mom or your brother Emmett, I cannot be held responsible what I may or may not do to whoever is on the other side of that door."

Edward eased me off his lap, retying my bikini top, and we both headed down the stairs to the front door, Darcy close on our heels.

"Sweetie, if it's any one of our family members on the other side of that door, then I will personally hold them so you can exact your revenge." He turned at the landing to quickly kiss me. The form that was visible through the glass of the front door was huge, and for a second I thought it might be Emmett. Edward opened the door to a very large man who was definitely not the Asstard. Turns out, it was just a wayward traveler, looking for the neighbors across the street, had the address mixed up, and extremely unfortunate timing. We pointed him in the right direction and closed the door behind him.

"Where were we?" I asked, wrapping my arms around my man. Those strong hands of his rested on my hips as I drew near to him and gently kissed him.

"Ummm, baby... as badly as I want to continue exactly where we left off, I'm afraid that it's getting late and we have to get ready for the symphony."

I whined hearing him overrule my suggestion. I literally whined like a three year old not getting their way. "Please, sweetie? We can squeeze in a quickie right? Ten minutes. Fifteen tops. Please, Mr. Sex-on-a-stick?"

"Sex on a stick?"

Edward's laugh was not the reaction I was hoping for, but it was the one I got. I failed to see what the fuck was so funny about this situation. Here I was, nearly naked and throwing myself at my hot as hell boyfriend who, by the looks of the bulge in his board shorts, was obviously as horny as I was, and the man was turning me down? Frustration was the predominant emotion coursing through my system and I was losing patience. That must have been pretty clear to Mr. Sexy Stick, 'cause he hugged me close to him as he whispered promises into my hair.

"Baby, I wish we could, but we need to get moving if we want to make it on time. What if I promise that when we get back here tonight you will have a night worth waiting a few hours for?"

"Worth it, how?"

"You want details?" I nodded against his chest. "Well, I'm sure we can come up with some ideas between now and then. You know I'm always open to suggestions and requests. Have any?"

"Actually, yes, I do."

"What's that, babe?"

"You, me, naked, now."

"You _are_ a vixen, Dr. Swan. I promise you by the time tomorrow comes you will have lost count of how many times_ you_ came. Now, get that pretty ass up those stairs and showered. I'm going to get my stuff from the car and make a few calls. You'd best be finished showering by the time I get up there in thirty minutes or that fine derrière of yours is going to get smacked. Now go!"

His hand made contact with the bare skin peeking out from my bikini with a clap. Knowing defeat when I saw it, I pouted as I headed up the stairs. At the landing I turned and slowly untied the strings of my top. I threw the scraps of material at him, his eyes growing wide at the sight of my bare breasts. The top hit him square in the face and draped over his head.

"Vixen. That's my new name for you. Evil, little Vixen."

"That's Dr. Vixen to you." And with that I flew up the stairs to take a shower and try to compose myself for the long evening ahead of us.

**~oOo~**

I was excited about the Symphony. My excitement was increased exponentially at the thought that I'd be attending with Edward. Throw in Harry and there was little that could make the evening more perfect. Except for the promises made to me in my foyer; that come the breaking of the next dawn, my body would be completely and utterly ravaged, satiated, blissed out... Well, you get the idea.

Unfortunately, one minor detail was putting a tiny damper on my fantastic mood. And that was the very important question that kept popping up in my head: _What the hell was I going to wear? _ So I did what any girl in my predicament would do; I called my best friend. Alice was at the house in less than the seven minutes I knew it should take to get here. Mention a fashion crisis and the woman had inhuman speed. I no sooner had the door opened to her and she was dragging me up the stairs to my closet. After taking two steps into my closet and turning a full 360 degrees, she reached out her hand and plucked a dress I'd never worn from the rows of clothes hanging before her. It was perfect. Why I hadn't seen it when I stood in that very spot was a mystery, but St. Alice had come through for me. Once again.

After a few suggestions for how I should wear my hair and which shoes to pair with the perfect dress, the whirlwind was gone just as quickly as she had come. The roar of her purple chopper crashed through the open french doors in my bedroom as she sped off.

Edward was in the shower, his tux hanging in the bathroom steaming out any minor wrinkles it may have acquired from hanging in his BMW. Turns out the man had a well thought out plan. I'm glad one of us had thought ahead.

I sat at my vanity in my short satin robe and quickly did my hair and makeup. I kept it simple, pulling my hair up off my neck to show off the back of the dress. I remembered finding the dress and falling so in love that I wasn't able to leave the boutique without it. I hadn't had an opportunity to wear it yet. It was red: the color of passion, love, life. The soft draping of the jersey begged to be touched, and I hoped that Edward would spend the evening running his hands along the folds of material. It was one-shouldered and sleeveless, hitting just below my knee. I stood in my closet in front of the full length mirror as I stepped into the dress and then slipped on the strappy heels Alice suggested I wear. The jersey hugged all the right places, making my ass look spectacular. The scraps of black fabric that I was calling undergarments were meant as more of a delicious surprise for Edward later. I came into the bedroom just as the bathroom door opened and Edward appeared in a casual cut, grey, almost metallic tux. The skinny black tie tied loosely around his neck made it seem a little more casual. His hair was still slightly damp and his jaw was as scruffy as when he'd gone in to shower. My mind immediately went to how the raspy fuzz would feel against my most tender skin. He looked amazing. We noticed each other at the same time; I acknowledged his utter hotness with a "wow" and he playfully whistled his approval of my look.

I walked to him and tightened his tie without a word. His hands did not disappoint and began rubbing and fingering the folds of fluid fabric just as I'd hoped they would. Sparks and electricity were flying around the room. Edward cleared his throat, "Uh, I think we'd best be going, before we start coming." How do you not laugh at that? I disintegrated in to a fit of laughter. The tension of the moment broken, we collected my wrap and purse and Edward grabbed his keys. The ride to the concert hall was bound to be a very long and painful one.

**~oOo~**

Edward valeted left the car with the valet at the hall. A uniformed man opened my door and helped me out. Another greeted Edward as he climbed out and I half expected him to give the guy some type of warning to take care of his precious sports car that had recently earned a nickname from me. Instead, he just grinned and nodded politely; wishing the valet a kind "good evening."

"Wow," I couldn't help but comment, "that was impressive."

"What was? Having the car valeted? We really need to get you out more, Bella." His voice was light and teasing. I shook my head at his remark. _Smart ass._ The walking tower of sexy guided me to the entrance by pressing his ever so talented hand to the small of my back.

"I was referring to your self control back there. You didn't even growl or mush your face up at the valet. I was prepared to witness some ridiculous sort of display of male dominance. You actually seemed as though you trusted them with the Back Dagger. I'm kinda proud."

"Please, beautiful, I'm not a Neanderthal; I know how to behave myself. Besides, he was an older gentleman. I'm sure he's been doing this a long time and I have nothing to worry about."

"Ahhh, the truth comes out! You don't _really_ trust anyone with your car, but you'll distrust an old guy a little less than a pimple faced teen? Ageism, Dr. Cullen. Pure and simple."

"Hush it, Swan." Then he whispered, "Don't make me discipline you in public." My eyes bulged in mock surprise at his threat. His easy laugh rang out, making me smile as well.

We walked up the several lushly carpeted stairs at the entrance of the Times-Union Center, and were greeted by an usher who warmly welcomed us and asked to see our tickets. Upon noting that our seats were located in one of the boxes, the tuxedo clad usher directed us to the grand staircase that wound up to the second level. The highly polished banister ran like silk under my hand as we ascended the gentle curve of the stairs. At the top was a cash bar, and Edward offered to get us a drink before we went in. I opted for a glass of Riesling while he ordered a Jack, straight up. We finished our drinks with plenty of time to spare, and were escorted to our seats, which were freaking amazing, by the way.

"Professor Cullen," both of our heads turned in the direction of the female voice that had called out to Edward. It took a moment, but he recognized who it was that had called his name. He asked the usher to wait a second, and guided me over to a petite brunette in a stunning black cocktail dress.

"Hello, Bree. It's nice to see you here."

"Hey, Dr. C. I wouldn't miss this! It's Harry Connick, Jr. after all!"

"Yes, my date feels the same way. Let me introduce you to the softer side of me: Bree, this is Dr. Bella Swan. Bella, this is Bree Tanner. Bree is one of my students in both my Elementary Music Methods and Music History classes, hon. One of my favorites."

"Pft! You're not supposed to have favorites, Professor. You just like that I actually listen during class, turn my assignments in on time, and don't give lame ass excuses like some of your other students."

"True."

"It's nice to meet you, Dr. Swan. Dr. C has mentioned you in class several times."

"Oh, has he now? I can only _imagine_ what this man has said about me in class."

"Well, except for that _one_ incident he told us about, it's all been very positive." Bree winked at me and grinned brightly at Edward.

This kid was a gem; she had a natural, easy way about her. The educator and musician in me wondered if she had exceptional talent. It was a logical question seeing as she was one of Edward's students. He was well known as being a professor who challenged his students. If you received an A in one of his classes then you had worked your ass off to earn it. I wanted to remember to ask Edward more about her later. That young woman had made quite an impression in a very short amount of time. She seemed like someone I'd like to have in my classroom for her internship when the time came.

We had to get to our seats; the usher had stood patiently waiting to escort us to our box. We told Bree to enjoy the concert and she returned the sentiment. The seats Edward had reserved were in the frontmost box. I was looking forward to this performance to the point of being nearly giddy! When the lights came down and the curtain went up I was already on the edge of my seat. The gorgeous man next to me had his arm across the back of my seat, the tips of his fingers brushed back and forth across the bare skin of my neck and shoulder. The electricity of his touch coupled with the intensity of the music had me hyper-charged. I felt as though every nerve ending in my body was vibrating and humming.

The music moved over us in waves. All too soon the performance was over and we were heading home. Although I couldn't really complain; Edward had made sure that I was more than ready to leave the smexy Harry Connick, Jr. when the last note was played. The touch-ability of my jersey dress paid off nicely; he couldn't keep his hands off it or me. By the time intermission rolled around I was practically begging him to sneak off somewhere and service my "needs."

He purred at me, "What 'needs' would those be, love?" I got the distinct feeling that he was mercilessly teasing me. Hell, a blind man would have known exactly what I was referring to, and would've jumped at the chance to fulfill them.

"Oh. Okay. So you _aren't_ gonna help me out here? That's fine. Really, it is. I can take care of this myself. I'll just be a few minutes ..."

I turned towards the ladies' room, mentally trying to decide if I was going to actually "take care of things" or just bluff, when he grabbed my arm, pulling me back. I slammed into his chest, surprising us both.

With his mouth pressed to my temple he breathed, "_I don't think so._ That's _my_ job, and I plan on doing a damn good one, just not until we're somewhere I don't have to worry about how much noise my vixen is making. Wouldn't want to upset any old ladies now, would we?"

"Of course not. Wouldn't want us to be the death of some old bitty. But I hope you realize that I have very high expectations for tonight."

"Really? Like what? Give me an example."

"Well, I _do_ have a magic number."

"And that would be...?"

"Four. I think four is the most magical number I can think of." I grinned innocently at Mr. Sexy Stick.

"Four? Why four? Why not five or six?" His eyes narrowed, studying my reaction. I was hyper aware of the trails his fingers were burning up and down my arms.

"I wouldn't want to be greedy. Let's just shoot for four, and if you feel particularly energetic then we can work on a higher total. Deal?"

"Well, I have always been an over achiever, Dr. Swan, but four sounds like a good

number to start with."

He smirked, very pleased with himself for having snuck in the last word before we had to return to our seats for the second half of the performance. I may or may not have trumped his "final word" when I _accidentally_ palmed his very obvious erection as I slid into my seat. I took his moan as a white flag of sorts. We both behaved ourselves for the rest of the symphony.

The ride home was a different story. It's amazing what can be accomplished when one is a master at multi-tasking. By the time we made it into my driveway we were both panting and he was working on number two. My choice of undergarments seemed to have impressed him. I gathered that impression when he slipped his free hand under the hem of my skirt while waiting at a stop light. The hiss he sucked in when his fingers brushed the lace kinda gave his feelings away.

_Oh, for the love of all things long and talented, this man can do magical things with his fingers! _

But I'd known this since that first day in my classroom. A moan purred in my chest, "Magical..."

"What's that, baby?" The man smirked as he used his magical hands, er, hand to do deliciously sinful things to my lady bits. I slid down in the leather seat to allow his talented digits better access to their medium. Namely, _me_. I tried to be "quiet" as I felt the familiar feeling of my imminent release growing tighter, but I wasn't winning that battle.

"Don't hold back, Bella. Let me hear you. I want to hear what I do to you."

As if I could ever refuse the man when his hand was buried knuckle deep in my nether region. His fingers curled and hit that spot that drove me mad and I couldn't contain the cry that escaped.

"That's it, let me hear you. Is this good, Bella? Should I continue?"

"Oh, god, Edward! Yes!" My moans grew louder as the feeling got tighter and tighter, until, with one final cry there was a snap deep within, and it felt like every muscle in my body was quaking and rippling. "Oh, wow. Baby. Thank you. That was intense," was all I managed to eek out between pants and purrs.

"Maybe so, but it was just number one." And, as always, his timing was perfect as we turned into my drive. "I believe we have a magic number we need to achieve tonight. Shall we go in and continue where we left off?" I nodded my complete agreement, seeing as I wasn't really capable of forming actual sentences. Edward helped me from the car, and I curled into his side.

Once inside we went straight to up my room. Shoes were kicked off before the front door was closed and locked. Our bodies were drawn to one another like magnets. We only separated enough to strip each other of our clothes. By the time we made it to the bedroom Edward was gloriously naked and all I had on was my carefully chosen lingerie.

The matching bra and panty set seemed to be a winning choice if I were judging their appeal according to the look on Edward's face. I backed up and lowered myself down onto the bed. The view of watching that man as he crawled up between my legs was spectacular. Like a tiger, he glared at me as if I were something to devour. Without a word he grasped the front of my black thong and pealed the offending scrap of material from my body. Then he unceremoniously chucked it over his shoulder. He stopped and stared at my bare flesh, and the look on his face sent a bloom of goose bumps across my skin. Edward's lips grazed the image embedded in the skin above my hip, almost worshipfully. He began licking and sucking, alternating with kisses. He moved across to the other side before returning to the middle, just below my belly button. Slowly, purposefully he traveled down over the soft curves of my body with his mouth. One hand grasped my hip, holding me in place, while the other freed a breast from its lacy prison.

Our sounds filled the room, none of them intelligible. All were mere acknowledgments of what we were doing to each other. He lifted my leg and rested it on his shoulder as he planted his kisses along my inner thigh, which was now next to his face. My fingers buried themselves deep in his hair, pulling and tugging at the roots. I tried desperately to direct him, but he had his own agenda. When he felt like he'd tortured me long enough, and had me panting and begging, he mercifully used that beautiful mouth of his to bring me to the halfway mark. My back arched off the bed in ecstasy as I screamed his name.

The cocky SOB chuckled against my inner thigh. "You're welcome." His tone was so arrogant. I felt it was my duty to keep him humble.

"Dr. Cullen, you seem pleased with yourself, but you're only half way to that Magic Number. Think you can finish the job?"

"Are you questioning my abilities to follow through, Swan?"

"Well, I do have my doubts..." The teasing ended there. The deep sound that erupted from his chest was a warning. Whether it was warning me that I was in dangerous

territory or warning me about what was to come I wasn't quite sure. Probably both.

His green eyes never left my brown as his body covered mine. I could feel him poised at my entrance. Then he commanded, "No more talking, unless it's you crying out my name. Very loudly."

I nodded my silent obedience as his mouth roughly covered mine. He tugged at my bra. "Off," was his one word demand and I complied quickly. He was immediately attentive to the newly bare skin as soon as the offending piece of lingerie was removed.

He pushed into me slowly as he lavished the pink tips of my breasts. I cried out as the sensation of him filling me overtook my ability to think. When his hips were finally flush with mine he began to move unhurriedly, each push and pull deliberate. I felt my body tense as he stroked me.

"Edward," I breathed. "Edward, more, baby... please?"

He quickened his pace, bringing me closer to the sweet release of my orgasm. Concentrating on the task at hand, he buried his head into my neck, where his tongue licked my sensitive skin. He could feel my body responding to his increased passion. He begged me to let go, and with a few more hard thrusts I did just as he'd asked.

Waves of pleasure flowed throughout my body. I had never experienced an orgasm that intense before. My climax spurred him on. Grabbing my hips, he angled them up to penetrate deeper and deeper with each thrust. The intensity and depth of his frenzy was overwhelming. Just as I was coming down from number three, number four ripped through my body. And cry his name I did - repeatedly as he came with me. Powerful, intense, shattering.

Between pants the arrogant voice of my lover breathed, "Numbers three _and_ four. Now who's cocky?"

"You are, baby. You are."

**~oOo~**

A few days later Edward and I were snuggled in the shade of his balcony after dinner. I was nestled in front of him, my head resting on his chest. The gentle beating of his heart was like a lullaby, coaxing me to drift off in his arms. We were watching as Masen and Darcy played in the sand on the beach below us. The sounds of their laughter and joy floated up to us. I turned to have access to my lover's mouth. He returned the kiss, our lips softly playing off one another. Tender. Loving. Slow.

"Hey! Guys! Watch this...!" Masen's excitement drew our attention immediately.

"Watch what Darce can do!" Masen commanded the beast to "stay," then walked a few feet from him. He then sent a Frisbee arching through the sky; hunching over as he released it. "GO, DARCY!"

The horse of a dog broke into a full gallop, and just as it looked like he was about to bowl into Mini, he launched off the soft sand and glided over the kiddo's bent back. The mammoth animal flew through the air like a gull, gripping the plastic disk in his jaws as they both succumbed to gravity's pull. Darcy turned on a dime and rushed back to his beloved friend. His tail wagged so furiously it looked as if the beast was powered by the appendage. He skidded to a stop when he reached his "trainer," and sat at attention at Masen's feet, awaiting his next instruction. Who would have thought that a small boy could command a monster quadruped with a mere glance or quiet utterance. It was amazing to watch. Edward and I saluted the two of them with whoops, whistles and applause. The pair of them ate up the attention, Mini bowing and calling, "Thank you! Thank you!" Mr. Darcy simply drooled and tried to dig a hole to China with his tail as it wagged in the sand.

It was really hot in the shade. This intense heat was unusual for Florida, especially in December. Talk about a heat wave; it had to be at least 93 degrees in the full sun. I'd made Masen's favorite drink and thought that might entice them to come up. It would be dark before too long.

"Why don't my two favorite boys come up and have some of my famous lemonade? You've worked very hard; it's hot as hades out here, and I'm sure you're thirsty."

Edward's son punched the air with his fist just like I'd seen the father do many times, and ran up the path to the condo, his companion hot on his heels. "Come on, D! Bella made our favorite! But no way are you drinking out of my cup again. That was just gross and sneaky. This time you use your bowl, got it? Let's go!"

Edward chuckled behind me, and resisted as I tried to get up from where we sat. "I don't think I was finished with you, Ms.-er, Dr. Swan. Besides, I have a bone to pick with you. I thought_ I _was your favorite boy."

He'd decided it was funny to call me "doctor" since our last conversation on the topic. I'd decided it was funny to _refuse_ to use the same title when addressing him. He didn't find my decision very funny, but that was okay, I didn't really care. I thought it was hilarious. At least it was funny to watch his face scrunch up in a scowl and have him correct me every single time.

I pried myself from his hold and stood, my hands perched on my hips.

"Mr. Cullen! Are you_ jealous_? Of my _dog _and your own _son_?"

"Maybe."

"Aw. How cute," I deadpanned, "Seriously, baby? You're jealous? You're not my favorite _boy_, because you're my favorite _man_. Better?"

"Marginally so. What treat did you make for your favorite _man_?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you made the boy child a treat, I think it's only fair that you make the man in your life one, too."

My eyes rolled in their obvious exasperation.

"I thought _I _was your treat," I teased him ruthlessly, knowing that the pounding of feet would be sounding out in the hall at any moment.

"Mmmmm, you are, but I highly doubt I have time now to even have a nibble." He played with the hem of my skirt, his fingers whispering against my thigh. Looked like the teaser was being teased. Damn him for being so damn hot. Damn him for not living much, much further from the beach so it would take the boy and the dog much, much longer to get back. Damn him for knowing which buttons to push to drive me crazy! Damn him! "Those two will be here-"

Before Edward could finish his sentence the two bound through the door. I was forced to head into the kitchen to serve the lemonade. The damned hot tease on the porch called after me, "Could you pour me a tall glass of your sweet juice, baby? I'm parched."

I glowered at him over my shoulder as I marched to the kitchen. I poured Masen a tall, ice filled tumbler of lemonade. The glass was rimmed with sugar and a lemon wedge. They didn't call me "Little Martha" for nothin'. Darcy got a fresh bowl of icy water with a few lemon slices floating on the top. The mutt lapped at his drink greedily, pausing only to scarf down one of the slices. Masen took a noisy sip of his own drink, making a sour face as he did.

"This is tart, just like I like it, B! The sugar is my favorite part, though. Thanks!"

I took two glasses out to the balcony where Edward still sat. He hummed his thanks as I handed him his and resumed my earlier spot between his bent knees. My arm rested atop his knee, the cold glass of lemonade sweating and dripping down onto his leg. I was mesmerized by the path the tiny drop took along his calf and over his ankle. I had to remind myself to not follow it with my tongue. It was painful. I took a sip of lemonade instead.

Masen's voice rang out, breaking into my PG-13 rated fantasy of licking Edward, "This is the best, B! I bet Reese used to love it when you made this for her, but I guess you didn't know how to make this yet, huh, cuz you were kinda little when she died." I froze. I inhaled my drink, and began hacking and choking on the tart liquid.

"Damn, Mini," Edward gently pounded on my back as I tried to catch my breath, "You sure know how to start a conversation." It took a moment before I could speak again. All the while Edward gently explained to his instantly sorrowful son how some topics had to be worked up to, and that he couldn't just spring something like that on me. Masen's little hand reached out to pat my own.

"Sorry, Bella. I guess I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean anything by it, I swear. I guess this is one of those 'sensitive subjects' Grandma Esme was telling me about last week when she was mad at Uncle Em and me for discussing farts at the table during Cullen Family Sunday dinner. I promise not to bring her up again, I wasn't thinking."

I looked into those deep pools of blue and felt my own eyes tear up. I pulled the little man to me; his head bent to rest on my shoulder. The remorse flowed off him in waves. I tried to reassure him. "Oh, Masen. Please don't feel bad. It's okay, sweetie. We can talk about her. It just makes me sad when I do." Masen's voice was small and muffled as he spoke into my shoulder.

"I just think about her sometimes, is all. And how sad you get when you play her song. I wonder how she died, and I know I shouldn't ask about _that_. So I just think." I smoothed his hair, comforting the boy my heart loved so completely.

"Masen, look at me please. Sweetie, it does make me sad to think about her, because I miss her so much and her death was very scary. But I think that if I talk about her then it might get a little easier. Kinda like after I play her song I feel a little better. Would you like to know about her?"

He looked at me not like a child would at an adult, but he straight in the eyes for a very long moment, almost assessing if I was okay to talk about Reese. He must have thought I was, because he answered, "I would. She means so much to you. I've never even seen her picture and you never mention her. We don't have to talk about her, though, if it makes you too sad."

Edward had moved so that we were sitting next to each other. I pulled Mini to sit close to me on my other side. His coppery head went back to my shoulder. I took a deep, steadying breath, and my man, my rock, wrapped his arm around my waist. Somewhere in my mind it registered that I was leaning against his tat of the tiger- his sign. Strong, protective- just like him.

"Theresa was five years younger than me. I was so excited to have someone else in our family. Most kids feel threatened by a new sibling, but I was overjoyed when my parents told me I was going to be a big sister. They even started calling me 'Sissy.' When Reese came home it was like she was my baby; I took care of every need she had that I possibly could have at five. I rocked her, fed her her bottles, changed her diapers (with my mom's help, of course). I wanted to do everything for her. She was a beautiful baby, soft cornsilk wisps of hair that curled around her head like a halo, and her eyes! Masen, your eyes remind me so much of hers. They were the exact same shade. Sometimes...when I look at you, I almost think I'm looking into her eyes again."

Edward's hand smoothed circles across my back, soothing and reassuring me. Masen smiled sweetly up at me, then shifted to rest his head in my lap; the rest of him curling into a ball. My hands busied themselves in his hair, ruffling then smoothing then ruffling again.

"She was such a good baby. She rarely cried, and I could never spend enough time kissing and cuddling her. If she wanted or needed anything she'd reach for me, and when she started to talk her first 'word' was 'Ssss.' It was really more of a hiss, but that's how she'd call me if she wanted my attention. Before long I was 'Sissy' to everyone. It became my identity, and I was so proud of it.

"As Reese got older she relied on me. I was the one she came to if she fell and hurt herself. 'Sissy, kiss it and make it better,' she'd tell me. When she was scared she'd run to me and hold up her arms for me to pick her up. I can remember her leaning out of our mom's arms to get to me. Amazingly enough, Mom was never jealous of Reese. She was always telling everyone how much work it was to raise two growing, active girls, when really I was the one taking care of myself and Reese for the most part."

"That must have been hard, babe," Edward's kind voice gave me a chance to collect my thoughts, focus my story, "no matter how much you loved her you were just a kid yourself. That's a lot of responsibility to put on a little girl."

"Oh, my dad was there, and Mom _did_ take care of us. She was a good mom, really. Rene was a wiz in the kitchen, and she kept our home spotless. She just really depended on me to care for and help with my sister. It wasn't like I minded, though.

"We dressed alike, just like twins would. We shared a room, Masen. Reese and I. We had matching twin beds. I'd tuck her in each night like a little mommy, then lay next to her in her bed, singing her song until she fell asleep. Then I'd crawl into my bed and scoot all the way over to one side, 'cause I knew she'd wake up at some point and crawl into bed with me. Every night her cold little feet would wake me up when she pressed them against my legs. We'd curl into each other; Reese was like my baby doll and I was her security blanket. You have to remember that I was only nine when she died. Your age."

Up until now, Mini had been silent, only nodding into my lap and chuckling at some of the things I'd shared, "How did she die, B? It's okay if you don't want to remember that part." Masen sat up quickly. "Should I have asked that?" His little brow creased from worry.

"It's fine, Mini, but thank you for being so careful with my feelings. It's a sad, scary night to remember, but if you want to hear it I'm willing to tell you about it."

"I want to know. I want to be able to understand, B, but I don't want you to be upset." I sighed and MM settled back into my lap. I rested my head on Edward's shoulder, knowing that this was going to be very hard to do. I'd only ever spoken this story out loud once- to my therapist. And that was when I was very small.

"Okay, so every fall we'd all come to Florida to visit Rene's family in St. Augustine. Mom would take me out of school, pack us up and stuff us in the car. Even Dad would save up his leave time to join us. Her parents have both passed on, but Gram and PopPop were very special to us. So we'd drive to Florida from Arizona. Man that was a miserable trip. Two days in a car with two small children is no fun. Especially without A/C. Gram and PopPop were always overjoyed to see us! And they lived to spoil us. Each year, around the time we visited, there was a carnival that came through town. The entire city looked forward to the fair. It had been setting up in the same lot since my mom was a little girl, and she would go every year.

"We'd all go, even Gram and PopPop, and we'd get yards and yards of tickets so we could ride the rides several times. Dad love the spinning ride, the one that squished you against the sides? I think it was called the 'Puke-A-Rama.'" Both of my boys laughed at that. One a deep, velvety bass, the other a sweet, soprano giggle. Mr. Darcy picked his giant mellon of a head up from the floor and cocked to the side as if asking, "What's so funny?"

"Mom and Gram loved the bumper cars. Those two would hobble back with whiplash and complain for days about how much their necks hurt. They were crazy women! None of us would ride when they were on. That was certain death.

"PopPop loved the Ferris Wheel. He said it was like being on top of the world," I said taking a ragged breath. The hard memories were coming too fast. I closed my eyes against the images that I knew were coming. It was a losing battle. "And he was right. There's nothing like sitting at the top of that wheel with the sounds of the fair floating up to where you're sitting, nibbling on cotton candy. You could see all of St. Augustine from the top. We used to ride it together and pick things to look for and count. Sorta like 'I Spy'. Blue baseball caps, ladies in white shorts, crying children, how many times it took a guy to win his girl a prize at the booths... I loved being at the tippy top of the earth with my PopPop next to me.

"The year of my eighth birthday, PopPop passed away. That was the first year I rode the wheel alone. Somebody would have ridden with me if I'd let them, but see, it was so special 'cause we had shared it together. I adored that man. As far as I was concerned, he had hung the moon and stars. And that time in that little bucket was what I looked forward to every year, if I couldn't share it with him then I didn't want to share it with someone else just for the sake of not being by myself. That first year I remember sitting at the top alone thinking that I couldn't wait for Reese to be big enough to ride with me. It took two more years."

The tears fell silently onto my t-shirt, the tiny drops of moisture dotting the cotton and drying quickly in the heat. This was the hard part, the tragedy. But even worse was having to admit my role in Reese's death. The one part that woke me screaming from my nightmares. Mini saw my tears, and grasped my hand. Edward pressed a kiss to my temple. The two gave me what little courage I had to continue and face my demons. I just had to trust that after I confessed my part in my beloved sister's death that they would still love and want me.

"That year, I was turning ten and Reese was five. We squealed when we measured her against the wooden cutout that proclaimed 'You must be _This Tall _to ride these rides!' She was finally 'This Tall'. She had no idea how tall that was, but she was so excited and proud. So was I.

"We rode all kinds of rides, even the ones I didn't like. I wanted her to have the chance to ride anything she wanted now that she was finally big enough. When we made it to the Ferris Wheel she looked up at it nervously. Who could blame her, she was still very little and it was huge! It took a lot of coaxing, but I got her to go. She really didn't want to. She was scared. Her little hand clung to mine so tightly it hurt. When we sat down and the bucket seat swung a little she whimpered and pleaded with me to let her 'skip just this once.' I laughed and told her she was being silly. But honestly, I felt funny too, like something wasn't right. But I ignored that and I told her to stop being a baby. I was only teasing, but she hated being called a baby, and I knew that. She'd have done anything to keep from being thought of as a baby. So she sat back and clung to me for dear life.

"At some point, as we were going up, there was a loud snapping sound. It sounded like it came from somewhere beneath us. Then the wheel jerked to a stop. Ferris Wheels stop all the time: to let people on and off, to let you get a better view, and to make the ride last longer. I wasn't surprised that we'd stopped, but it wasn't smooth at all, and not what I was used to. Reese was so afraid. She was crying, pleading with me to call down to the man and let her off. She buried her face in my sweater and just cried. She kept telling me that she was scared. I tried to comfort her, but it was useless. The only thing that would help would be to get her down and off the ride.

"It started back up again, and the bucket jerked more violently this time. I remember the loud _pop_ just before our bucket slipped. One of the bolts that held the seat on the frame had snapped on Reese's side. Before I knew what was happening our seat was dangling from its side and Reese was tumbling out of it."

Masen and Edward both gasped. But I had to finish. It was now or never.

"I caught her. Somehow I managed to grab her hand and hold on. I could have probably held onto her until we made it to the bottom again or until someone could help, but the weight was too much for the other bolt and it snapped as well. We both fell. When I regained consciousness there were people all around. Gram and Mom were next to me, but I couldn't see Dad and Reese. I started calling for her, crying her name out over and over again. There was another group of people not far from us. I heard crying and cries for help. When the crowd shifted I saw Dad being restrained by some rescue workers, and then the crowd moved again and I saw what he was trying to get to. The bucket seat was laying there, upside down, with a halo of long, silky blond curls spilling from underneath it. I knew she was gone. I knew she was, or they would have been working faster to help her. I blacked out again then. The next day I woke up with ten pins holding my lower leg together, a broken arm, a punctured lung, and a major concussion. It was a miracle my neck wasn't broken... I guess.

"Years later I learned that Reese had died on impact. Her little neck had broken and she'd been crushed by the seat.

"I was inconsolable in my grief. I cried whenever I was awake to the point where they sedated me, and even then I screamed from the nightmares. I wasn't allowed to attend her funeral. They said I was too badly injured and that I was too young. Too young? How could I have been too young? I wasn't too young when I fed her and cared for her every need at five years old! Why was I too young now? It was like I'd lost my own child.

"Things never were the same again. They stopped calling me 'Sissy.' All of them. I was just 'Bella' again. Every time I heard that name it reminded me that _she_ was gone. They even stopped talking about her. It felt like they'd forgotten about her. Mom and Dad split a few years later. Dad moved to Washington State and Mom moved us here to be near Gram. She's buried here, but I never go. _She's_ not here, not anymore."

I paused to compose myself and blow my nose. Edward kneaded the back of my neck, trying to help me relax. Masen had a death grip on my hand. I gently pried it away and continued to rake through his hair. I couldn't look at them, though. I couldn't risk seeing what I feared most on their faces: disgust, rejection, disappointment. Even after all these years I was still that ten year old little girl who believed with all of her that she had a key role in the death of her beloved sister.

"Didn't you live in Washington with your dad for a while, Bella?" I turned to look at Edward's chest, still afraid to look in his eyes. I nodded.

"Life went on. Mostly. At some point it became too much to live with Mom. It was like I didn't exist now that Reese didn't. So I went to live with Dad when I was sixteen. I stayed there until I was finished with school and my Ph.D. I stayed until I couldn't take the constant rain another second. That's when I moved back here. Mom basically begged me to. She promised things had changed, and they had. But it's still hard."

That's where I stopped. For me that was where the story ended. Truth be told, my story ended the day Reese died. At least I'd wished it had for years and years. Until I met Edward, that is. When he and Masen came into my life all of that changed. I just wished I was good enough for them. How could Edward trust me with Masen now that he knew the truth? Sure I cared for him at school, but that was different than what he wanted from me. Could I nurture a little soul? That question terrified me.

"Bella," his voice was soft, "Bella, please look at me."

"I can't, Edward."

"Please, baby." When I finally met his gaze what I saw took my breath away. All the love he had ever given me shown from he emerald green eyes. I started sobbing. I was so unworthy of that love, and even after all I had told him he still loved me. He didn't have to say it. I could see it as clearly as if he had written the words in the wave-wet sand on the beach below us. He drew me to his chest. Mini sat up and wrapped his arms around us both, and my men held me as I cried. The relief of them knowing everything, reliving the nightmare of my childhood, the raw emotions of everything coming to a head; it all came spilling out of me. When I finally managed to pull myself together I wiped my face and blew my nose. I turned and hugged Masen with all my might, and to the squirt's credit he didn't even squeak from the pressure.

"Hey, buddy? Why don't you get our girl some water?"

"'Kay, Dad," he patted my shoulder and went inside, Darcy right behind him, as usual. Edward encircled me again with his strong arms.

"You okay, baby?" I nodded my "yes." "Thank you for telling us that, Bella. I know that had to be one of the toughest things you've had to do. I'm so proud of you."

"Proud of me?"

"Yeah, what you just did took so much courage. Then again you've proven to me time and time again how strong you are. I just never had any idea you were _this _strong. I'll never know how you survived that, Bella. Physically or emotionally."

Mini came out with the water then. I sipped it as I watched the younger Cullen watch me drink. I grinned at him, saying, "You make a pretty mean glass of water, little man. Thank you."

"I love you, Bella."

I froze. It was so quiet, more so than a whisper even. Like a feather of a voice. The man child before me had just told me he loved me. And it meant the world, no, the universe, to me. In a heartbeat's time I scooped him towards me and held him close. When I could find my voice I told him what I'd felt from the moment I met him.

"Oh, honey! I love you, too, Masen. So much." We both heard the sniffling at the same time and turned to see the older Cullen swiping at the tears that were flowing freely down his face. He grabbed Mini by the waist and pulled him sideways onto his lap. He crushed him to his chest, and then wrapped an arm around me. We sat like that for a while. Until Edward spoke into the silence, "Mini, I don't want Bella staying by herself in that big house tonight. Not after everything she's been through today. You think it'd be okay if she stayed here tonight?"

Edward was met with questioning looks from both the kid and me. I hadn't stayed over while MM was there yet and I was anxious for his reaction.

"Where would she sleep?"

"Uh, in a bed. Duh!"

"I know _that,_ Dad. Where, though?"

"Well, probably with me."

"Oh, okay. As long as_ I _don't have to sleep on the couch so that she can have my bed, that's fine. I hate the couch."

We both laughed at Masen's rant. As usual the littlest Cullen diffused a very tense, difficult moment. The kid should really consider becoming a hostage negotiator. He was that good.

"Well, now that that's settled, I'm gonna run to Bella's, grab her some clothes and be right back. You think that you and Darcy can take care of our girl while I'm gone? I'll be twenty minutes, tops."

"Sure, Dad. We'll be fine."

"Good. I want you to have had a shower by the time I'm back. Hear me?"

"Okay, okay."

Edward left and Mini hopped in the shower. I straightened up while I waited, to busy my hands and mind. When MM was finished he came in to the living room where I had wandered over to the piano there. He curled up on the couch and listened as I plucked at the keyboard. I was playing a new song that I'd been working with lately. It would come to me at night, when the house was dark and quiet.

I called it _"Gravity,"_ and it reflected how I was feeling about Reese's memory lately. I played the first few bars over again before testing my emotion hoarse voice.

_"Something always brings me back to you._

_It never takes too long._

_No matter what I say or do I'll still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone."_

Everything in my life redirected my thoughts to my sister. Regardless of how long I lived on this earth, she'd be a part of me.

_"You hold me without touch._

_You keep me without chains._

_I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your rain."_

But lately it was too much. Her memory was becoming more and more heavy, restraining. I felt like I needed her with me, but that I wasn't living the life I was meant to be living.

_"Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity._

_Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be._

_But you're on to me and all over me."_

Just when I felt like I was doing what was best for me, I'd be hit by a tidal wave of memories, all reminding me that she'd never have this chance. And the old guilt over being the one that took her future from her would rush in, flooding and drowning any good thing.

_"I live here on my knees as I try to make you see that you're everything I think I need here on the ground._

_But you're neither friend nor foe though I can't seem to let you go._

_The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down..."_

I sang the last word with all of me. Begging her memory to finally just rest. To let me move on. Not forget, no, I never wanted to forget. I needed her near me. But I yearned to not feel suffocated every time something good came across my path. Yes, I needed her, but not the guilt. My biggest fear was that I wouldn't be able to set myself free from the pull of the responsibility I felt over her death. It was strong and unexpected like the grip of an undertow.

_"You're on to me, on to me, and all over..._

_Something always brings me back to you._

_It never takes too long." _

When I'd finished, Edward's strong hands rested on my shoulders. I hadn't heard him come in. He pressed his lips to my head.

"Looks like someone was worn out from the day's activities," he motioned to Mini who was fast asleep on the very couch he'd protested against sleeping on earlier. He sat next to me on the bench and I scooted over to give him more room. "That's beautiful, baby. Will you sing it again... for me?"

I did as he asked. When the last notes faded beneath my fingertips I looked at the man I adored, the man I was trying desperately to convince myself that I deserved. He kissed me. With a feather soft touch. This wasn't a kiss of passion, but one of love and acceptance.

"I love you, Bella Swan, and we will all get through this together. You _are_ meant to stand tall. Reese would have wanted that for you. This pull you feel is understandable, but irrational. You can change that, in time." I leaned my head against his shoulder, drawing strength from his words and closeness. "I choose you, you know that, right? I want you. All of you- the good and the bad, the whole and the broken. _We_ choose you. And apparently your beast of a dog, too."

I smiled weakly, but said nothing. Every word I had in me had poured out earlier. I was drained and exhausted. He kissed me again, deeper this time.

"Come on, baby. Let's put our boy to bed. We'll get the munchkin in his bed and then get you tucked in, too."

Later, as I lay in the safety of Edward Cullen's arms, many things rushed through my mind. But most importantly was the reality that I was deeply loved. I so desperately wanted to be worthy of that love. The best I could do is hope that one day I would be.

**~oOo~**

_**One last note: **__Did you know that every year over 200,000 children worldwide are diagnosed with a form of childhood cancer? We cannot ignore this shocking statistic impacting the youth of the world, and we certainly hope that you won't either. We need your help._

_Starting __**June 26 through July 2**__, the fandom will have the opportunity to help in the fight against childhood cancer. __**Two outtakes for Ride will be up for auction**__; One from Mini's POV and the other POV will be the winner(s) choice. For more information on how you can help by bidding on the amazing items up for grabs, please go to: www(dot) thefandomgivesback(dot)com_


	17. Failures and Firsts

_**A/N:**__**SM **__owns the __**"Saga." **__ I own the "Pickled Pecker" and "Box Boy."_

_A huge thank you to my Grammar Guru, __**TwilightMundi**__ who saves me from embarrassing myself with pathetic oversights and mistakes. You're once, twice, three times a lady. And I love you._

_To __**Dizzygrl28**__- You're the Darth Beta, but more than that you're the Mom beta. All my love._

_To the Pre-Riders: __**FanGirl78**__ and __**Barburella**__, you are my cheerleaders and the first to bring me down a notch when I need it. Thanks for your honesty and love. Happy Birthday to you both! The first week in July is a lucky seven days to share you both and I'm just as lucky to share you two. All my love._

_Musey, __**Tellingmelies.**__ No words, only love. You make fanfic important to me, 'cause you're here. __**LOVE.**_

**Liz and Barbi's Road Trip Playlist:** _Real Wild Child_ by Everlife, _New Divide _by Linkin Park, _Crawl_ by Kings of Leon, _Evil Woman_ by Black Sabbath, _Hold You In My Arms_ by Ray LaMontagne

_See ya at the bottom!_

**CH 16-Failures and Firsts**

**EPOV**

**~oOo~**

_December 26_

It was the night after Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

_Or a large, mammoth of a dog, for that matter. _

I lay in bed, Bella beside me, tucked up against my side just like she was supposed to always be. The light from the moon filtered in through the window and spilled across her bare back.

_So beautiful. The most wonderful gift I never deserved._

I should have been able to hear the quiet sounds of her soft, relaxed breathing. But I could hear only one thing. The thunderous snoring of the beast down the hall in my son's room. Even through two solid wood doors and the fifteen feet of hallway that separated us I could still hear him. It sounded like a chainsaw trying to chew through steel girders.

_I'm getting up first thing in the morning and heading to Home Depot to buy thicker fucking doors. This is_ ridiculous.

I shifted onto my side and pulled Bella closer. We were sharing a pillow, so I took one of the others and tried to use it as an earplug; cramming it into my ear canal as best I could. The damn pillow wouldn't cooperate, and I eventually gave up and just covered my head with it. I added ear plugs to the ever growing mental shopping list for the next morning. I wondered to myself if BreatheRight strips worked on canines. Hell, at this point I was willing to try anything and everything.

While I waited for exhaustion to overtake the annoying droning of the peacefully slumbering dog, my mind drifted back over the past month. Back through the holidays with Bella and my family. Thanksgiving and Christmas were wonderful, and even though the Ex-bitch had made good on her threat to return to town, things had been Norman Rockwellesque. Well, as close to Rockwell as my family could get.

**~oOo~**

_November 28- Thanksgiving_

Our family fucking loved the holidays. Every single one of us. You might not have guessed that a clan of chopper building/riding heathens would go ape shit over some turkey and giblets, but just say "gravy" around that crew and you ran the risk of losing an arm. Especially if Emmett was around. Now that we'd added Bella to the mix it was a money back guarantee that this was going to be a Thanksgiving to remember. That's not to say that everything went smoothly. Hell no! Not in the Cullen clan. It was as bumpy as Emmett's infamous mashed potatoes. Oh, wait. I think the word I'm looking for is _lumpy, _not bumpy. But you get my damn point. Things were nutso.

Dad insisted on a fried turkey in addition the traditional roasted one Mom made every year, and insisted on frying it himself. Mom told him he'd be doing it outside. Good thing she did, too, 'cause he'd have burnt the house down. One minute the bird was simmering away in its hot grease bath, and the next it was a fully engaged fire that brought the fire department screeching out to our house. They laughed saying they could see the smoke from two miles away. Poor Dad, he was so disappointed; he looked like someone had shaved all the hair of his My Little Pony dolls. And the only way I know anything about that shit was 'cause Em and I did it to Alice's when we were kids. She had her revenge, though, when she shaved our heads a few weeks later after slipping us sleeping pills into the "Milkshakes of Peace" she made. She was eleven. It took us years before we would steal food off her plate, much less eat or drink something she made herself. She was a troll.

Once we sent the fine men and _woman _of the PVFD back to Station 11 with a good laugh and a story to add to the list of many stories about the Cullens they had accumulated over the years, we finished preparations for dinner and moved to the back porch where the women had set up an amazing table. It looked like Martha Stewart had set that shit up! Turns out that's what Bella's friends from Washington called her, the "Martha Stewart of the Pacific Northwest." I found myself sporting inappropriate wood thinking about her in an apron and heels and nothing else. I made a mental note to buy her a see through apron for later and started thinking of less pleasant things. We were still laughing about Dad's pyrotechnic skills_, _and threatened to nickname him "Fire Walker" as we sat down to dinner.

"Hey, I like it, old man! It could be like, your Indian name!" Masen was bummed that Rose has declared that this year we would not be dividing into "Pilgrims" and "Native Americans." "It stinks that we aren't doing that this year. I had my name picked out and everything!"

"What would have you used for your name, Mini?" I asked, curious about what had him all excited. We'd only done away with the tradition thinking he was getting too old for it. Apparently we were wrong.

"Runs with Mammoths," he announced proudly. We all fought to hide our amusement, but it was a losing battle. We all broke out into fits of laughter. Plate by plate the food was passed around. Emmett was the most amused out of all of us. His laughter could be heard above everyone else's. "What's so funny, Silent Butt Deadly?" Mini demanded. Emmett looked around.

"You talking to me?"

"Yeah, I'm talking to you. Or should I call you_ Uncle _Silent Butt Deadly? 'Butt's' spelled with two t's, by the way." My son glared over the sweet potato casserole at his uncle seated across the table.

"SBD will do just fine, thanks."

We went around the table, giving one another Indian names. Mom was "Cooks with Heart," Rose's was "Shoots First, Asks Questions Later," Jazz was "Whispering Wind," (I had no idea why the hell that was his name, but Alice named him and refused to tell us her reason. It's probably best we didn't know her reasons.) Bella was "Trumpeting Swan," which I thought was very fitting. Alice was "Bottom Woman on the Totem Pole," and my name ended up being "Angry Badger." I was a little offended at first, then Bella called me on my shit.

"What's the matter, Edward? It's true. You do have a tendency to look all badger-y at times. It's just a game, baby! Don't take this so seriously. Loosen up!" She kneaded my shoulder with one hand and slyly reached under the table for the buldge in my pants with the other. She was evil. I leaned over to her and motioned for her to come closer and whispered so only she could hear, "You keep that up and I'll be shoving that 'angry badger' in your 'den'."

The little hell cat just stared me right in the eye and replied in hushed tones, "Oh, really?" Her hand slid lower, cupping and gently squeezing the twin goods that rested between my thighs. I jumped and may have squealed. _May_ have. All eyes darted to Bella and me.

"Everything okay over there, Squeaks?" my oh-so-concerned brother inquired. _Asstard. _

"We're just fine, Nosey Nancy. How 'bout you go back to gnawing on that turkey leg you're fisting?"

A truce was called, well, a few were, actually. Mom made Em and me behave, and Bella released her torturous hold on my family jewels. The conversation turned to our favorite family topic: humiliation. Mini was the unfortunate subject this time. The wolves descended and pounced on the kid like a pack of rabid dogs. He took it all in stride, laughing and poking fun at himself. You had to have a thick skin to survive in this family. Emmett was catching hell, too. Mom was telling Bella about our long standing relationship with the PVFD, starting with the first time they were called when Emmett got his humonsterous head stuck between the spindles on the banister. He was four, and Dad was out of town. Mom called the Fire Department in a panic. They came, lights flashing and sirens blaring. When they walked through the front door they were met with a red faced, screaming toddler. With the help of good old fashioned butter they were able to pry his huge head from the railing. This story always had Mini in tears laughing, and this time was no exception.

"Shut it, pipsqueak. _You_ have no room to talk, Mr. Boy in a Box," Emmett reproached.

"Hey! I wasn't even two! You were twice as old as I was, and it was an accident!" Mini argued with the man who was twelve times his size and half his age, maturity wise.

"What happened, Mini?" Bella's genuine concern touched me and had me marveling at my luck for the tenth time that day.

"Grandma Esme tells the story best. That is, if Uncle Big Mouth can keep his trap shut for five minutes," Masen challenged. "He has a little problem with interrupting," he mocked whispered.

"Whatever, Mini. You love me."

"Only because Grandma makes me." Mini stuck his tongue out at his uncle in a rare display of immaturity.

"Don't stoop to his level, love," Mom's gentle chiding made all but one of us chuckle. The other protested with an exuberant, "Hey!" Mom eyed each of us pointedly and warned, "I'll tell the story _if _you all promise to behave, and Emmett, you have to eat all your vegetables."

"I am not five! I do not need to be reminded to eat my veggies like a baby."

"Baby?" Rose interrupted his childish rant.

"Huh?"

"Eat your vegetables."

"Yes, dear."

"Mom, you were saying..." Rose's attention went back to her plate and Mom went on with the story of how my son became infamous throughout the county.

"Masen was almost two. We were redecorating the nursery we have here to better accommodate his toddler needs. I'd found the most adorable box shelves at Target that were perfect for displaying some of his old baby memorabilia. The cutie pie that he is, found them sitting around and put one on his head like a crown. He was so pleased with himself. He kept saying, 'Mam-maw, _hat_! Mam-maw, _hat_!'

"He got so excited that he started jumping up and down yelling hat over and over again. That is until his 'hat' fell down around his neck.

"At first he laughed. It was cute and awfully funny. Until he tried to take it off and it wouldn't slide up over his ears-"

"That's 'cause he had Dumbo ears when he was a squirt," Em taunted, unable to resist.

"Shut it, son." Mom's no nonsense voice could cut through bone, and even my tard of a brother knew when to not push his luck. Everyone else just listened as they worked to eat their way through the mountain of food on their plates. The matriarch continued, "So the box shelf was stuck and after a few gentle tugs it was obvious that it wasn't coming off easily. I remembered the butter trick from before, and carried him into the kitchen where I used every product I had that contained oil. Ten minutes later, I still had a distraught baby with his head stuck in a box, but now he was slathered in butter and very difficult to hold onto.

"Finally I called 9-1-1. I couldn't listen to his poor little cries any more. Once again, the trucks flew to our address. By now, after years of calls and incidents, they knew us by name. It was a reunion of sorts. Four engines and one ambulance responded to the call. One by one they filed in. All fifteen of them. It was like a parade.

"They took one look at the buttered baby and asked, 'Is this Emmett's kid?'"

"They remembered him?" It was Bella's turn to interrupt, but no one seemed to mind.

"Yes, they did. But, who could forget Emmett?"

"Point made."

Mom continued, "After a trying to remove it a few times themselves, they finally gave up and went out to the engine for the bolt cutters. I was so nervous as they held him still so they could cut the box off. But they did, and Masen was fine. Those men have rescued my brood more times than I can count. Each year around this time, I make certain to send them copious amounts of baked goods and several DVD's to add to their collection. All in order to be sure they continue to respond to our cries for help. Each time they come out they thank me personally for the care package."

"And that's how Mini came to be known county wide as 'Box Boy' by the rescue workers

of St. Johns County," added Emmett, unable to keep his two cents out of it.

"Pft! I'd rather be known as 'Box Boy' than by your nickname, Uncle Em!" My son could dish it out as well as my brother could.

"Whatever, Box Boy. And shut it!"

"Why? You don't want it to get out there that guys call you 'Pickle Pecker'?"

_Oh, lord! _I thought, _it's started! _

Jazz joined in the family fun, picking up a small sweet pickle from where it rested on his plate and waved the tiny condiment in the air as he recited the infamous family rhyme, "'Emmett picked a peck of pickled peckers,' try saying that five times fast!" The rest of the table joined in the fun, all trying to see how many times they could repeat the retarded saying over and over before getting all tongue twisted. All but Mom and Bella, that is. Things were starting to get out of hand, and as the table dissolved into fits of laughter, Jazz was trying to get enough air to explain the embarrassing story of how our brother got the nickname.

Thankfully Bella ended it. "Hush!" She threw her hands up in the air in the universal signal for 'stop!', "As much as I relish Emmett's humiliation, I _don't_ want to hear this story! Some skeletons belong in the closet. I'm thinking this is one of those skeletons. New topic, please!"

The rest of the dinner went much the same way. Us trading stories and sharing our lives with Bella. By now, after having spent several Sundays with our motley crew, she was used to our antics. By the time the desserts were devoured we had all melted into tear streaked laughter. And by the end of the night Bella's place was firmly cemented in our family.

**~oOo~**

It was supposed to be a quick ass trip to Home Depot, but apparently that wasn't in the cards. Emmett, Jasper, Mini, and I were hustling through the aisles of lumber and hardware supplies. The smell that defines all that is masculine and manly practically smacked you in the face as you walked in the door, it was so strong. Pine, poplar, maple, paint, PVC pipe, and gasoline, mixed along with who the hell knew what else to make up that distinct smell.

Divide and conquer. Jazz took Mini off to find the PVC we needed to fix the busted pipe in his and Alice's condo. Apparently, the common residential garbage disposal couldn't digest a turkey carcass, no matter how picked over it may be. Em and I set off to pick up the biggest, most bad assed disposal the Home Depot carried. It was while we stood there debating the pros and cons of the various models that he showed up.

James.

"Hey, there, ladies! Looking for some way to dispose of your poor excuse for balls? You know you could just dig a hole in the back yard. It'd save you a fuckton of money."

We tried to just ignore the dumb fuck. Unfortunately for us, he wasn't interested in being ignored. Huh, who'd have guessed that?

"I'm talking to you two pussies. Is this how you treat an old friend?"

"Fuck off, James. There are no old friends here." I figured it was best to just get the unpleasantries out of the way so we could all get back to our own lives. Who was I kidding? I didn't give a shit about his life. I just wanted as much space between myself and that prick as humanly possible, ASAP.

"Wow, you kiss your momma with that mouth? I bet she'd be disappointed to hear you talking like that."

"Do_ not _speak of our mother, you waste of space. You're the load your mother should have swallowed..." Gotta hand it to my brother, he never was one to mince words.

James moved like he was about to step into Em's personal space, and that's never a good idea. Unless, of course, you happen to be a five foot nine blond, with legs that never quit and a wedding band that matched the one that circled the forth finger of his left hand. My eye sight might not be what it used to be, but that physical description did not match James. Well, maybe the blond part, but that was all. I stood between the two, facing the waste of a perfectly good cum shot and warned, "Get the hell out of here, James. There's nothing here for you. You know better, or did you fall on your head again?"

By this point we were drawing a small crowd, and I could see Jazz and Mini heading in our direction. I grabbed the most expensive disposal and pushed Em back. "Come on, Hoss. Let's get this back to the hacienda." The brick wall I shared genetic material with backed down the aisle.

"I have no clue why the hell you've decided to come back around here, James, but it'd be in the best interest of your general health if you stayed the fuck away from any and all Cullens."

The cock gobbler had the nerve to speak, "Does that include one Bella Swan?"

I felt the anger ball in my chest like a fist. Knowing my son was mere feet away I made a conscious, albeit difficult decision, and turned to follow Emmett, but not before invading _his_ space. "Especially. Bella. Swan."

I couldn't get the hell out of that place and home fast enough. If I never saw that asstard again it would be too soon.

**~oOo~**

_December 8th_

I stood in the Eclipse Choppers garage looking at the form of a bike distorted by the tarp that had been tossed over it. Bella's bike. The one I'd finished a month ago. The one that we had, well... fucked on, to put it bluntly. I'd intended to give it to her as soon as it was finished, but the more I thought about it the more I worried that it wasn't the right timing. So, two weeks ago I'd given up and rolled it to a back corner of the garage where it'd be safe from the accidental bump or scrape, and covered it with a tarp to further protect the fuck awesome paint job. It was apple red, the color perfectly reflecting that of a humble offering of an adoring student to his beloved teacher. To complete the adoration, I'd had her name painted on the tank in elegant calligraphy to match the tattoo over my heart. The chopper was all red and chrome and beautiful. And sitting in a back corner in my garage.

Christmas. I'd give it to her for Christmas. Maybe. Alice had warned me that Bella would have problems accepting the gift the moment she saw the the bike plans. But did I listen? Nooooooo. Sure my girl had two hogs in her garage already, and sure she had not one but two kick ass sports cars, but was that enough to convince me that she didn't need one of _my_ bikes? The answer to that question would be a resounding _hell no_. She may have all those other toys, but she did not have an Eclipse Chopper. Yet. But come Christmas she would. Maybe. If I grew a pair and got up the courage to give her the damn thing.

The distinct ding of a text sounded from the depths of my jeans' pocket. I reached around behind me to fish out my iPhone. Before I could get to it and check the screen it chimed twice more. _Damn, someone's impatient!_

I read the display announcing that I had three unread texts- all from a one "Dr. Swan." I'd changed her name in my contacts after that little conversation we'd had about her Ph. D.

_**Hey, baby. How are things at the shop today? I was thinking about stopping by on my way home. ~B**_

_**Maybe, if things are quiet around there, we could find time to reenact the last visit I made to Eclipse... ~B**_

_**...Or not. OK, I guess you're busy. Call me when you have time. I love you. ~B **_

I was mentally kicking myself for having missed her texts. I shot her a response to all three of her texts. There was nothing quick about it:

_**Love- Things have been a little crazy around here, but good. You are always welcome to come here anytime you wish. You never need an invite. You have no idea how badly I want to reenact that little visit you paid me, alas the shop is swarming with every employee on the payroll. Christmas rush has us buried under piles of orders. But PLEASE come by. I'd love to see you. -E**_

Bella's reply was almost instantaneous.

_**I'll be there around 3:30 and I'll just bring Mini home with me. I have a surprise for you. ~B**_

Man, I do love a good surprise.

_**Surprise, huh? Can't wait! And thank you for bringing the rugrat. I love you. -E**_

_**No, problem! And- I love you, too. ~B**_

My heart swelled reading her words . It was then that one of my front desk clerks came bursting in through the door that connected the garage from the store front where we sold all kinds of merchandise. The clerks rarely came to the back, unless there was a problem with a customer. Even then, they'd usually page one of us to the front to handle the situation.

_This can't be good..._ I thought to myself. I thought right.

"Hey, Edward? There's a woman out front demanding to see you," Gianna did not look the least bit amused. "I told her you were busy, but she insisted. Said you would _make_ time for her."

I could only imagine who stood on the other side of that door. I considered not stepping through it to find out; then I heard her shrieking at Ben, one of our best salesmen.

_"I don't give a damn if this is a busy time for this little scooter shop! I drove all the way out here to the beach to see Edward Cullen and I demand to see him! Now take your scrawny ass back there and tell him his wife is here to see him!"_

_Oh, hell no! Who the fuck does she think she is? She will not come into_ my_ place and start... _

Her ear piercing voice cut into my bad ass inner monologue. Hearing her belittle and screech at my employees was all the encouragement I needed to make up my mind. I stormed through the door, shoving it hard against the wall with a loud _bang. _The Wicked Bitch of the West's head snapped to look in my direction. The look on Ben's face was a mixture of seething hatred for her and sincere condolences for me.

"_EX-_wife, Jessica. Do_ not_ forget that very key detail." Her name dripped from my mouth like bitter venom. This was not what I needed to deal with today.

Her face softened marginally and as her cold, steely eyes met mine I heard her theme song in my head: _Evil Woman_ by Black Sabbath. It had been her song from the moment I first saw her for who she really was: an evil, cold hearted, double timing, game playing, black souled woman. But I'm not bitter. No... not at all. Well, I try not to be. It's just when I think about how much she'd missed out on over the past nine years of my son's life, I can't help it if some of the old bitterness and resentment bubbles to the surface. The thought of Mini coming here soon and possibly finding her here urged me to speed this happy reunion along and get her the fuck out of the shop.

"Ed-die! How are you? You look wonderful! It's been too long..." She sang every word, and the forced sweetness was vomit inducing.

"Jessica. What are you doing here? We didn't expect you in town for another few days." My tone was cool and I managed to avoid her lips when she attempted to stamp my cheek with her blood red lipstick, but had to concede to a brief hug. I could feel her nails dig into my back as I forced space between our bodies.

"Well, that's no way to greet your wife and the mother of your only child after a long separation, now is it?" I looked around the store nervously at the few employees and customers that had gathered to witness the spectacle that was Jessica.

"Again, I have to remind you that the title you hold is _ex-wife_, not wife. There's a very big distinction, Jessica. What brings you to our little _scooter_ shop today? I hadn't yet alerted the authorities of your impending visit. Looks like I'll need to call them a little sooner than I had anticipated."

Unfazed by my attempt to poke fun at her obvious mental instability, my ex-wife continued talking as if we didn't have a growing audience.

"Edward, I'm surprised at you. This is not how your mother raised you to treat a lady."

"You're entirely correct, Jessica, and when I see one I'll be sure to use my best manners and make my mother proud. Now, what did you want?" I decided to try to get rid of her as quickly as possible rather than take her up to the office. More witnesses equaled less temptation to strangle her with my bare hands.

"Fine, Edward. I can see how this is gonna be. I'd hoped we could start over, but it's obvious that you haven't grown up yet." I felt my hands tense into fists at my sides, willing myself to not lunge at her neck. "I'm in town for ten days to find a place to rent and get a job. That means I'll be here over the holidays like we discussed, and I'd like to see my son while I'm here. I was also hoping you could help steer me in the direction of an apartment and job." My feet moved forward against the order to stay put. Thankfully, I felt the strong hand of my brother on my shoulder. I glanced to my left to see Em glaring ahead at the Wicked Bitch of the West and then to my right to see Jazz doing the same. I stayed put and cleared my throat before answering her.

The voice of reason that resides deep, deep in my head warned: _Don't embarrass your mother, Edward. She can still take your ass._

"Jessica. I have no intentions of helping you move to this area. You are a grown woman. You want to live here, well, that's your decision and this community's great misfortune. But it's a free country, so go right ahead and move, just don't call looking for references or bodies to help you move your shit here." You could she her physically bristle at my harsh, but calmly spoken words. Her discomfort did not deter me from what I had to say next. "As for seeing _my_ son, he's been made aware that you will be in town for the holidays and possibly moving here. Masen has been given the choice to decide whether or not he wants to see you. Should he decide that he does want to see you then you will be contacted. Until that time, though, you are not to call, stop by, approach, or speak to him under any circumstances. Is that clear?"

"Excuse me? Are you keeping a mother from her child?"

"You gave that honor and title up nine years ago. Do _not _try to reclaim them now. I believe we're finished here. You know where the door is, I assume, seeing as that's how you flew in. Oh, and, by the way... I wouldn't hold your breath for a call. You'll end up passing out before you get one."

With that I turned and walked away from the woman who walked away from me and the best thing that had ever happened to her- my son. As I reached the garage door I heard her call, "You do not have the final say here, Edward. I am that boy's mother, and I _will_ see him. Even if it means me acquiring an attorney to do so."

I spun around to face her and looked straight into her ice blue eyes. "Threats will get you nowhere, Jessica. Don't bother to go to the trouble and expense of an attorney," she looked glib and triumphant... for a brief moment, until I finished my statement, "I'll simply have mine fax you a copy of the termination of parental rights that you signed over nine years ago." I never moved closer to her, but my voice rose to meet her where she stood, taking up valuable space and air. "_'That boy,' _as you called him, has a name... _my _name. He is _my_ son, and my son alone. If you want to see _my_ son then Masen will have to express the desire to see you. But again, I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. He stopped crying for his _'mommy' _when she left nine and a half years ago. Go away, Jessica. No one wants you here."

I have no idea what happened after that, other than she obviously left, because I wasn't called back to deal with any more of her stupid shit. After I had said my piece I stormed back through the garage, narrowly missing my twin sister with the swing of the door I'd crashed through. I was fuming and ranting incoherently. Somehow, Alice managed to steer me up the stairs to the office, closing the door behind us. I'm positive I looked like a madman, with arms flailing and obviously yelling as I marched laps around the small space.

"She has some fucking nerve! Coming into _my_ place of business, making a scene, demanding to see _my _son, and accusing _me _of not growing up? _Who_ the hell raised that boy for the past nine years? _Who_ took care of his every need? And _who_ took off traipsing around the country fucking everything on three legs? Haven't grow up yet? _Haven't grown up yet!_"

"Calm down, Edward. Don't let her do this to you, she's not worth the wasted oxygen. Just breathe, twinnie. Just take deep, calming breaths."

I tried to do as Alice told me, but as soon as I'd feel myself cooling down I'd remember some asinine thing she'd had the gall to spew and I'd be seething again. I paced that office for twenty minutes trying, and failing, to get control of my emotions with no hope of succeeding without putting my fist through something or someone.

Then _she _walked through the door. I wasn't the only one to notice, but I was the only one whose world stopped. Okay, so I sound like a pussy, but it's true. Everything just stopped. The shouting-slash-swearing fest that was going down in my brain was instantly silenced. My breath caught in my chest. And my heart... well, my heart rate increased exponentially, then it slowed down and evened out when someone pointed out to her that I was sequestered up in the office and she began to climb the stairs to me.

The room was instantly filled with her, and her presence calmed me even further. But not before she realized I was upset. Alice excused herself and I tried to explain to Bella the fuckery that went down less than thirty minutes earlier.

"You mean the Ice Queen was here? Just a few minutes ago?" Ice Queen. Ha! Ha! That was a good one!

"I like that one, baby. I'll have to remember that the next time she and her cold heart shows up. But let's hope that won't be any time soon."

"She sounds horrible, Edward. How did you ever marry her? And how did such a sweet kid come from that vile womb?"

"There's a reason we call her a 'witch,' namely because she worked her evil voodoo on all of us. She had us all fooled. As for Mini? I have no clue. That child is a true miracle."

"So are you. You know that, right? You are my miracle."

I crossed the office to where she stood. She was looking down at her hands that were nervously tangled together. At that moment I wanted them tangled in my hair so deeply that I might need to shave my head just to get them free. My hands cupped her partially hidden face, lifting it to look in the eyes. I looked at her for a moment, just taking her in. I needed to pull her into my reality.

"_You _are _our_ miracle, Bella," I kissed her once, chastely, and then nuzzled that soft spot below her ear. She moaned in response to the sensation and fisted the cotton of my polo. The sound went right to my crotch and I replied by kissing the aforementioned soft spot before moving up to work the shell of her ear. My hands had moved south, discovering the soft flesh of her breasts and were shamelessly groping her.

"Edward," she rasped to the air around us, "Are you sure you want to do this here, now? 'Cause if you start this you better sure as hell finish it."

I answered her by moving my mouth's attention to her neck, then her collar bone. One hand got adventurous and moved to the curve of her ass, squeezing when it arrived. Bella gasped. Her leg came up and hooked over my hip, pulling our lower halves closer. I pushed against her letting her feel me and what I wanted to give her. I was overcome with an intense urgency to replace the earlier incident with a more positive one. I needed to feel her like this, to reconnect with the woman I loved in order to convince myself, yet again, that I was worthy of this love she so willingly offered. Though I knew I never would be.

"No, Bella, I don't want to do this here. I want to take you home, strip you bare, and touch every inch of you. But, for now, here will suffice."

I was relieved when her hands went right to where I had wanted them: my hair.

Just as things were getting warmed up, Em walked in on Bella and me making out like two horny as hell teens. Of course he wasn't fazed in the least by the state of skewed clothing and toussled hair. He simply flashed that smart ass smirk of his as he leaned into to "whisper" to my girlfriend whose ass was firmly gripped in one hand and left her breast in the other: "No worries, baby, I'll just let you two get back to playing "Yankey the Wankey." Bella, not one to take Em's shit, never said a word to the tard. She simply flicked him soundly on the ear. "Fuckity, Jelly Belly! What is it with you and ears?"

"Don't mess with me, little man. I still owe you. Now turn around and walk out the same way you came in, and if you know what's best for you and those windsails you call ears, you won't breathe a word of what you saw in this office. Am I making myself clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good boy."

We watched him retreat, but the moment was lost. As we untangled ourselves, I recalled her earlier text promising me a surprise. And, I think we've established that I love surprises. Well, ones that don't involve either my ex-bitch or asstard brother, of course.

"So?" I prompted her, unsuccessfully.

"So...?"

"So, where's my surprise?" She looked entirely confused, so I pulled out my phone to jog her memory. She read her text and began to giggle like a school girl. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," her attempt to convince me of the 'nothing' she was laughing at was pathetic, and I told her as much, "Well, it's just that you look so excited about this surprise, but I doubt you'll be nearly as excited once I tell you what it is."

Oh, lord. I did not like the way that sounded, I doubted I could take a third shittastic surprise that day. I braced myself for the worst and told her to "hit me."

"Okay, so I found out some interesting intel at school today...," I cocked my head towards her to encourage her to spill the fucking beans already. "It would seem that our man-child has a 'girlfriend'."

"Mini? He has lots of girl friends. I don't see where this is either intel or a surprise." I was not amused by this non-surprise.

"No, Edward. He has a _girlfriend_. As in: 'Masen and Eleanor, sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-'"

"Stop! Wait! Don't finish that. Are you telling me that my ten year old son has a _girlfriend_?"

"Yes, Captain Obvious, I am. And in case you missed it, her name is Eleanor. He calls her Ella. Is that not the cutest thing _ever_?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. Like, fucking 'bunnies in boiling water' cute."

My Bella wrapped her arms around me and pressed a kiss to my chest. I felt its warmth seep through my work polo, and soak through my skin to my heart. Yep, me, Edward Cullen equals pussy. Shut it.

"Baby, chill. It's a little crush, and it's adorable. Don't you remember your first crush?"

"Yes, she also happened to be my first kiss..."

"Aw, how sweet!"

"And my first ex-wife."

"Oh. Not so sweet. Wait... first? There's more than the bitch?"

"No. I was just trying to make a point."

"Well, I don't think you have to worry about Ella, she's a sweetheart, and she's way too young to be anyone's ex-wife. Relax, babe."

She guided me to my desk chair and moved to massage my shoulders. Before I knew it, details of "The Great Divorce" began tumbling from me. To Bella's immense credit, she remained silent as I shared some of my darkest memories.

"She had an affair- Jessica. It wasn't enough that she wanted out, but the bitch couldn't wait until she was out to start something new. And with my best friend, at that. It crushed me. Not only had she betrayed the scared sacred vows of our wedding day, but she was so willing to throw away everything we had together: the family we shared, our home, our love, our son... I was crushed. I honestly don't remember much about the first few days after she left. I just remember her being there one moment and gone the next. She never once called to check on her baby, not even to let us know she was alive and well. It was as if she hit a reset button the second she walked out that door, her suitcase in tow.

"Had it not been for Masen, I don't know what would have happened to me. He saved me when no one else could. I got up in the mornings to care for him, and nothing else. Any semblance of happiness or joy was his making. His love, it touched me when nothing mattered. I'd thought I was a man when I married that woman, but the truth was, it took a tiny baby, many sleepless nights, smelly diapers, tears, and boundless, unconditional love to transform me. I grew up for him. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. He's the best thing that ever happened to me."

I turned to face her, pulling her to me and resting my head against her soft curves, "That is, until you came along." I felt and heard her chuckle at my admission.

"Please, as if I could compete with the man-child."

I turned my head so that I was looking up at her, and tugged her closer to me. She obliged, soothing me with the feel of her fingers in my hair.

"Bella, I'm serious. There is only one person in my life I cannot live without besides my son, and that's you. There is no competition. You hold equal standing in my heart and in my priorities. The two of you are my pillars; you ground me."

"Who was it, Edward? Who did Jessica leave you and Masen for?"

"It was James."

"Wait- James? Icky, asshole James from Alice's Halloween party?"

"The one and the same."

"And that skeevy prick had the nerve to show his face around your family? He must have some sort of death wish. He _has_ met Emmett, right?"

"Yes, dear. We were all very close. He was like a brother to all of us. But he was obviously much, much closer to my wife."

"_Ex_-wife, love." She gently reminded me that was in the past. Once again she was anchoring me. Her voice was so low I had to strain to hear what she said next.

"You ground me, too, Edward. You remind me what is truly holding me to this planet. Sometimes I feel it's the weight of the past pulling me down, but then I see you, hold you, think of you, and that pull that _was_ crushing me, suffocating me becomes freeing and purposeful. You and that tiny clone of yours give me two very important reasons for existing. God knows I don't deserve either of you, but I'm trying to."

Her words broke me. Not worthy? How could she think that? We were the unworthy ones.

_Speak for yourself, Cullen. Mini deserves every wonderful thing that comes his way, especially Bella._

I was suddenly very aware of our surroundings, and while we were alone, my garage was not where I wanted to have this conversation. I pressed a chaste kiss to her hip, where I knew her guilt manifested itself in physical form: her tat.

"Let's get outta here, baby. You coolio with that?" She giggled and playfully ruffled my hair. I stood and wrapped her in a proper hug.

"You looked so much like your son just now. You have to know that I'd follow you anywhere, Edward. Just lead the way."

"I love you, Isabella Swan. And you _are_ worthy." She breathed her reply into my neck.

"I love you, too, Edward Cullen. And so are _you_."

**~oOo~**

_**A/N:**__ Ahhh, the bitch is back in town! Cue the ominous music! Are you as worried about her as Edward is? We'll have to see what road this Ride takes._

_The story Esme tells about Masen at Thanksgiving dinner is based on true story! It happened to my niece, Cora. To this day she's known as "Box Baby" amongst our county's volunteer fire fighters. Yeah, she's famous. And she's just about as cute as they come! _

_I'd like to think that I have at least a touch of humor, but I know better than that. This chapter had a boost in the snark department from __**SparkleVaJayJay**__. "You're the load your mother should have swallowed..." is all her. I bow before her shiny lady parts. Thanks for the loan, and I owe you a peen, bb!_

_Fandom Gives Back Eclipse Edition was so much fun! Both outtakes were won by amazing readers! Congrats to __**JennC32**__ who won the random outtake and has opted for Mr. Darcy's POV. (That's gonna be fun to write!) And congrats to __**Fangirl78 **__who won the Mini Me POV! She, being oh so giving and loving, gave the outtake to our beloved __**Barburella**__ in honor of her birthday, so Barbi will be dictating what secrets Mini chooses to divulge to us. I'm dying to write his POV. Keep an eye out for the alerts. They should be posted in the near future, after the girls get to see them first, of course! _

_Thanks for reading and Riding. You all have my deepest gratitude and admiration for making the FGBE so successful. Over $137,000 have been raised so far. I am speechless. _


	18. Sticky Situations and Surprises

**A/N: Hey, Riders! Thank you for being patient with me while this chapter kicked my ass. Man I hope it turns out to be worth the wait. Just a reminder, it's just after Christmas on this ride, and Jessica has made her grand entrance, much to everyone's chagrin. There's a little bit of everything in here, so I'll shut up and let you all get to it.**

**As always my eternal gratitude to my awesome betas: Dizzygrl28 (Darth Beta) and TwilightMundi (The Grammar Guru). They dot my t's and cross my i's - oops! See! I need them like I need air! I have to publicly apologize to TM for the senseless slaughter of hundreds of commas in this chapter. I'm a serial comma killer and I should be punished like the bad girl I am. Go ahead, GG, I can take it. ;)**

**Tellingmelies, my Musey and inspiration, deserves all the credit for this chapter finally making it to you. I cannot write this without her holding my hand. Thanks for indulging my bizarre attachment to you, lil' sis. **

**Barbi and Liz's Road trip playlist: **"Grease Is The Word" and "Greased Lightning" from the Grease Soundtrack, "Boy With A Coin" by Iron and Wine, "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum, "Reason Why" by Ron Pope and Grace Weber, "Need" by Hana Pestle, "In My Arms" by Plumb (This is "Reese's Song" at the end of the chapter.)

**Disclaimer: Smeyer owns all things Twilight...blah, blah, blah. I'm just taking them for the ride of their lives. I don't claim ownership for anything Grease related either. **

**~oOo~**

**Chapter 17- Sticky Situations and Surprises**

BPOV

_December 29th_

I stood out on the deck in the cold air, my sweater pulled closely around me and my hands curled around a cup of steaming tea. I called to Darcy to hurry it up and finish doing his business. "Come on, handsome. Let's get back to your harem." We slipped back into the warmth of the house and the friends who filled the space. _Girls' Night!_ All of my dearest girl friends had come together to spend some much needed quality time. We all agreed that a little girl bonding was long overdue, and what says "girl bonding" more than a movie marathon? Well, it was more of a double feature, really. The popcorn was popped, the Coronas had been chilled with the obligatory lime wedge resting at the bottom of each bottle, the floor was strewn with oversized, fluffy pillows, and our movies sat waiting on top of the DVD player: Grease I and II.

The girls each greeted the only male allowed within a two mile radius that night. Rose, Alice, and my best friend from out west, Angie, were all over for a good old fashioned sleepover. The only difference from those of our youth and this night was the sleepwear had "matured" a bit. Gone were the flannel PJs and sleep shorts, now we all wore our favorite nighties. Wrapped in robes of satin and lace we all cuddled up on the pillow-covered floor in front of the fire that crackled and flickered below the flatscreen. The familiar opening credits and title sequence for Grease drew our attention.

"I fucking love this movie!" All eyes went to Rose as she popped a kernel of kettle corn into her mouth.

"Seriously? I thought for sure you'd hate it, and we'd have to bribe you to watch it," I admitted to the breathtaking blonde next to me. _ I swear, if I played for the other team... _

"Hell, yeah! What's not to like? Fuckhot men, hot rods, cheesy song lyrics, and pompadours, for the win!"

Alice, who was curled up on the couch behind us, leaned over my shoulder. "Don't get her started on Grease II. It has choppers in it. She creams her panties at the mere mention of the title." Rosie moaned loudly, as if to make an honest woman out of Alice.

"Can we just skip to that one? Maxwell Caulfield was so fucking hot, and filled out those jeans so much better than John Travolta!"

"No WAY!" Angie wasn't about to sit back and let anyone diss her aging heartthrob like that! "JT was hawt! When he sings 'Greased Lightning' I totally lose it. We have to watch Grease first. Pleeeeease?"

I looked to Alice who just shrugged at me. "I don't care either way, ladies," I said as I tried to be the peacemaker, "but we're gonna watch them both, so why not just watch them in order?" Rose huffed and puffed a little, but she was only joking. I think.

We did start off with the original Grease, and I kept picturing Edward in a black hot rod with flames painted down the side, and his hair slicked back into a perfectly coifed 50's do. Chrome and Edward's crotch in tight denim did crazy things to my girlie parts. Right off the bat we all decided that Rose was Rizzo. Then things got out of control until everyone was assigned a character to match their personality. The only time we weren't chatting incessantly was when we were singing with the music or quoting our favorite lines.

"Well, if I'm Rizzo, then Alice is Frenchie." Rose was adamant. We all agreed.

"And that means Jazz is Doody. I love it when he calls Frenchie a 'beautiful blonde pineapple.'"

"So does that make Em Kenickie?" Alice taunted her.

"Hell no! Em is Michael," Rose countered.

"No fair, Rosie! Michael is from the second movie. We're only doing the first one." Alice could be passionate about her pop culture, apparently.

"Says who, ya little Kewpie doll?"

"Kewpie doll, huh? Ever seen a Kewpie doll with these?" Alice chose that moment to flash us all her perfectly pierced nipples, each one run through with tiny bars tipped with red stones.

"Ugh, Allie! Put those things away!" I covered my eyes, joking that she was blinding me with her high beams. The truth was, at this point, there was no modesty amongst us, and apart from Mini, we all knew about Alice's bling. Rose had some as well, but I was just praying at that point that she didn't have plans to spread eagle and share hers as well. I didn't think my stomach was up to that tonight. I was her friend, not her gynie. I did not need to see the woman's vajayjay any more than I needed to see Alice's tits. They'd been trying to talk me into adding a little sparkle somewhere "special" lately, but I had thus far maintained that if the good Lord had wanted a hole in any of those regions, then He would have put them there Himself. They hadn't yet counter-argued that I had pierced ears. Or a tattoo. Neither of which I was born with. Thank heaven for small miracles. They'd even recruited the Perv Princess, Angie, to the "Pierce Bella's Naughty Bits" campaign. It was getting a little ridiculous.

"Back to the movie..." _Ah, Angie. Always the voice of reason._ No, not really, but tonight she seemed to be. "So, who would Bella be?"

Alice and Rose answered in unison, "Stephanie!"

"Um, I thought we weren't doing the second movie yet," I argued.

"We aren't. Keep up. But Stephanie was a bad ass, while Sandra Dee was a prude. You, dear Bella, are no prude," replied the one with the sparkly nips. I was so confused at this point that I really didn't care, I just wanted more alcohol. Things might make more sense if I was a tad drunker. I hopped up to get a martini. I decided instead to just grab the bottle of Grey Goose and bring it back to the girls. We were drinking it like it was water anyways.

When I came back into the room they were all arguing over which character Edward would be. Everyone agreed that he'd be the perfect Danny, but if I was Stephanie then he'd have to be Michael. My Edward was no baby-faced, good boy Michael, that was for sure. So, after a heated debate and watching more than half of Grease II, the decision was made that we'd forgo the strict lines that divided the two movies and say that I was Stephanie and Edward was Danny. Two bad asses. One movie. Don't judge, we were drunk, very, very drunk. It was also decided that we would both have choppers. It all made perfect sense to our sloshy minds.

The Girls' Night had been a raging success and suited its purpose of bringing my girlfriends- old and new- together for some much needed girl time. That was until the guys decided to attempt a panty raid. Cripes, how old were we? The guys skulked off with their tails between their legs and empty handed after Mr. Darcy heard them outside and scared the piss out them when they tried to sneak in. I'd gotten used to seeing Edward cowering and cupping his junk protectively around the mutt, but adding Jazz and Emmett to the picture was one of the funniest things I think I'll ever live to see. Dad had flown in for the holidays on the same flight as Angela. The man actually fell off his chair laughing so hard when I told him about it the next day over lunch. He had rented a condo not too far from me, even though I had insisted he stay with me. Angie was staying over, so I didn't see why he couldn't as well.

I was a little hurt that he didn't want to stay with me, but he argued, "You're a grown woman, Bells, who has a life of her own. You don't need your old man hanging around, cramping your style." My "old man" failed to mention at the time that he planned to bring his girlfriend, Sue with him. Her visit was meant to be a surprise, and boy was it! Those two were more handsy than a couple of teenagers in the back seat of a Chevy on prom night. I was more than relieved to have them shacking up someplace else. I was happy for my dad, but the last place I ever needed to see his hands were shoved down into the ass pockets of the woman who used to be the den mother for my Brownie Troop. Don't laugh; I was a member of the Girl Scouts of America for about fifteen minutes when I was six. But then there was that unfortunate incident involving Mom's curtains and a young Bella practicing to earn her fire badge. Seriously, what kind of organization teaches six year olds to light things on fire? But I digress. I was forced to abandon my Girl Scout career, and I took up piano lessons instead. As it turned out, those were less flammable, or something.

Dad and I had a nice visit, that is when he came up for air long enough to talk. We had several heart to heart talks. There was the somewhat uncomfortable discussion when Mom and Phil joined Dad and Sue at my place for a nice, grownup dinner. Edward was there to support me and to be honest, keep the body count down. Mom and Dad hadn't been in the same room together since my high school graduation. I've tried to block out the entire incident, but my right eye still twitches a little whenever there's platters of sliced cold cuts served. Meat fights can get mighty ugly. Take my word for it. To my great surprise, the evening was delightful. Everyone was civil and downright pleasant. My guess was that old age had made them all more docile. Edward's theories had more to do with the amount of alcohol that was being consumed. Whatever the cause, Dad behaved himself with Sue. He explained that they had reconnected a few years ago when he'd signed up for Match-dot-com and Sue came across his profile. She said she knew instantly he was the "Charlie Swan" she used to know by the tell-tale Tom Selleck 'stache he still sported. Mom and Phil talked about the upcoming cross country trip they were planning to take next year, and both couples delighted in bombarding Edward and me with uncomfortable questions. The winner was probably my mother asking, in front of all present, if Edward and I would like the "magnum" sized condoms that she and Phil had left over, seeing as how they wouldn't need them now that he'd had his "swimmers snipped." I explained to her that Edward and I had everything under control as far as "that" was concerned, as I mopped up the mess Edward had spewed all over the table. She would have you all believe that she was just being helpful, but I _knew_ she was fishing for confirmation on how big Edward's disco stick was.

Dad had plenty to say after meeting the Cullen clan. I don't think I'd ever heard Charlie say that many words in my entire lifetime. He was impressed that Carlisle was a doctor and asked to have a tour of Eclipse Choppers before he left. Then there was the discussion when I told Dad that I loved Edward Cullen. And his son. That was fun. Dad knew about Edward. I called home enough that he knew I was serious about this guy. He was well aware that Masen was my student, and we'd had many a conversation about how I should handle the situation of dating the father of one of my students. His wise and thought provoking advice was in true Charlie Swan form, "Baby girl, do you like this guy, or what? Then get your head out of your ass and make it work. To hell with what the school thinks!" Considering Dad's no nonsense approach to dispensing advice, it should be pretty clear why I might have been a teeny bit concerned about how'd he react to my being in love with a guy I hadn't known for very long. Still he was eager to meet the man who had captured my heart and the man-child who was the only one who eclipsed that love. After a wonderful day of relaxing on the beach, throwing Frisbees to Mr. D, building sand castles, and watching the "Cullen Boys," as Dad called them, surf, I waved goodbye as the three most important men in my life pulled away from my house in two separate vehicles. My phone rang not long after they'd gone. It was Dad.

"You know, Bella, I've always wanted a grandson. I had a wonderful time. It's easy to see why you love them. Thanks, again for a lovely day." We exchanged "I love yous," my voice thick with unshed tears. Later, when Edward came back from dropping off Mini at his parents' house, I let the tears flow freely while I told him about the phone call. They were happy tears, and being wrapped safely in Edward's arms made them that much sweeter. That wonderful, beautiful, sexy as hell man of mine spent the rest of the night kissing away my tears. My heart felt like it could burst from the joy and love.

**~oOo~**

With all the excitement of family visiting, Edward had given me my Christmas presents early. The first I was ecstatic over: a weekend getaway to Savannah, Georgia. I had been bugging him to get out of town for a while now, just the two of us, and he knew how much I loved that city. The second was a bit of a shock and, to put it gently, overkill. Upon presenting the bike to me, (yes, Edward gave me a motorcycle for Christmas. Overkill, right?) Edward told me that he'd been working on an Eclipse Chopper for me from the moment he had seen me ride off on Janice the first day we met. Something about an "ass as fine as yours needs to be straddled over an Edward Cullen original." Well, I was officially the proud owner of such a bike. I was shocked and tried to argue that the bike and the trip were too much. He insisted the trip was already paid for, and Emmett astutely pointed out that the shiny red bike had my name painted on the side, so it wasn't like they could sell it to someone else.

"I got that part, tard. That's kinda what 'custom' means, or had you not gotten that far in the dictionary yet?" I scoffed at Captain Obvious.

"Whatever, Teach. You know what I meant. Hey, Eddie? You sure you're taking care of her 'needs'? Because she's acting like Bitchella these days!"

I punched him hard for the last comment and called him a 'tool' like the thirteen year old I could be at times. He rubbed where I'd hit him, adding, "Yeah, I'm a tool! A _jackhammer!_ Just ask Rosie." That earned him another punch from me and a hand to the back of the head from Rose.

I had to admit, the bike was beautiful, and the thought and care he put into it was beyond anything I had seen before. The color was perfect, and while my other two bikes were a good fit size wise, this bike was obviously made specifically for me. It was heavy enough to keep it on the ground, but other than that, it was just enough bike for me to handle. Even with the custom touches to my Hogs, they always seemed weighty. Luckily, I'd never had to try to right one because neither had ever fallen over. I was crazy careful with my girls! I felt guilty having three bikes, so I told Angie that she'd be receiving a shipment in the next month or so. I figured that if anyone would love a pink Hog as much as I did, it would be Ang. So, it was with as much grace as I could muster that I accepted both gifts. It was a hell of a lot easier to accept the bike after Edward whispered that he was glad that I hadn't refused it seeing as he had an emotional attachment to it. I knew that chopper looked familiar! But then again, I was a little preoccupied when I'd seen it last. I was busy, or should I say I was "getting busy" at the time? _Damn, when did Emmett take over my brain? _ Anyway, like I was saying before Emmett so rudely took over my thought process, I was otherwise occupied when last I saw the bike. Not to mention it wasn't even completed at that time. I have to admit that I had an instant attachment to the machine as well. I may have whispered back to him that I'd love to recreate that evening in my own garage sometime soon.

It was the sound of the phone in my back pocket that distracted me from what most certainly would have been an NC-17 daydream. When I answered the cockblocker, my tone may or may not have been a bit terse.

"Hello."

"Is this Bella Swan?" The voice on the other end of the phone questioned.

"Yes, it is. May I ask who _this_ is?"

"I'm sorry, this is Brandon Stewart with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. I was wondering, could have a word with you?"

**~oOo~**

I don't mind going grocery shopping, I mean, it's a necessity. You wanna eat? Then you have to shop. I'd just much rather be shopping for shoes. If I'm organized and focused, then I can make it in and out the store in pretty good time. But ever since my run in with the Ice Queen, I find I like the whole food shopping experience even less. I knew I'd have to meet her sooner or later; the woman_ is _Mini's biological mother. I had hoped it'd be later, though. _Much _later. But we don't always get what we want in life, a fact I'm very aware of. I never imagined that my first encounter with Masen's "mother," and I use the term loosely, would go down the way it did. And lucky me, it happened in my neighborhood grocery store. With Masen standing next to me.

We had run up to the store to grab some snacks for the guys; they were having a bike detailing party and all of our bikes were lined up out in the sun at Eclipse Choppers getting the royal treatment. Rose, Alice, Mini and I hopped in Em's Hummer and went for supplies. Once at the store, we split up: Rose and Alice went for beer and sodas while Mini and I stocked up on selection of snacks. Our cart had several types of chips and junk food tossed together and we were headed to the produce section for some fruits and veggies to make us feel less guilty about the crap that we already had. I was busy cataloging the reasons why we needed healthy snacks, all of which were lost on a ten year old boy, or I might have avoided careening into a cart that was rounding the corner the same time we were. I immediately began apologizing to the poor woman whose cart I'd smashed into, even thought she had been on the "wrong" side of the aisle to begin with, but my contrite words were cut off when she started shrieking like a banshee amongst the shrimp and fish filets. For a moment I stood there in shock while she ranted about how I was a menace to society. Then I felt Masen slip behind me, hiding from the looney woman who looked as if she were about to have an aneurysm in front of the live lobster tank. I reach around behind me, making a connection to him and felt him shiver at my touch before he tucked in close to my back. I could feel the warmth of his breath coming in quick gasps through the thin cotton of my top. I couldn't care less what this woman thought about me, but I wasn't about to stand by and let her scare the little man.

"Uh, excuse me, could you please lower your voice?" I continued, "And nothing appears to be damaged." My voice was much calmer then I felt inside. I had no clue that the witch that stood seething before me was, in fact the Wicked Bitch of the West. In the flesh. That bit of information might have been helpful; then I would have realized from the beginning that there was no reasoning with the giant basket of crazy that blew up at me again.

"Lower my voice? Who do you think you are, telling me what to do? First you mow me down with your cart, and then you tell me to shut up like I'm some sort of dog?"

"Now, wait a second," I cooed in what I hoped was a soothing voice, "I never told you to 'shut up,' I just asked you to not be so loud. You're scaring small children and sending dogs into fits of epilepsy with all the high pitched yelling. I've apologized and I assure you I didn't intentionally run into your cart, that's why it's called an accident." Behind me, Mini had balled the hem of my shirt in his hand, so I swiveled to wrap my arm around him and pulled him to my side. His arms wrapped around my waist and he buried his face into my ribs.

There was a crowd forming around us. I saw a manager hurrying toward our little show. I wondered where the hell Rose and Alice were, and I did a quick scan to see if they were nearby. Nope, nowhere. Crazy was opening her mouth and sucking all available oxygen into the abyss of her pie hole when it snapped shut. The wide-eyed, deranged look was replaced with one of confusion, or was that constipation? Either way, her demeanor completely changed. By that time the manager had made it over to us.

"Ladies, can I help you with something? Is there some sort of problem," he asked in a way too perky voice. I was about to assure him that everything was fine, and that it was all just a misunderstanding, but Crazy spoke before I could.

"Oh, aren't you just the sweetest? No, everything is just fine. Just a little 'ole misunderstanding. Thank you for offerin' though!"

_What the fuck? Who was this? Sybil? _ Two seconds ago she was about to rip my head from my shoulders and use it for a bowling ball in the soda aisle. Then, suddenly she's Scarlett O'Hara and as sweet as a jasmine scented breeze? _Her name _must_ be Sybil... _Once the manager shooed away the crowd of onlookers and he was positive there wasn't any chance of a bloody chick fight, he went on about his merry way. _Clean up on aisle seven. _I turned to steer our cart towards the produce; Mini was still pasted to my side. I leaned down to hear Mini ask me quietly, "Who peed in her snap, crackle, and pops?" I had to chuckle at his joke, even if it was kind of inappropriate.

As we passed carefully by her cart we heard Crazy Sybil lady call after us, "Masen?" My head whipped around to eye the other woman. It was then that I finally recognized her. Edward had shown me pictures of them from their college days, and while she was older, it was, without a doubt, Masen's mother. I pulled him a little closer as I realized that Crazy from a few moments ago was also she who bore the awesomeness that now clung to me as if his life depended on it. Suddenly I was really happy that I'd kept my cool with this psycho bitch earlier.

"Mini, could you go over there and grab me the biggest bag of baby carrots you can find? Oh, and pick out something to dip them in, ok?" I tried to put as much space between the Ice Queen and the boy as possible. There was no way this was going to end well. I just hoped it wouldn't end with me spending the night in the pokey. I could feel my face morph from the calm, easy expression it held to a cold, seething glare as I turned to face Jessica. She moved to follow him, but I blocked her path with my cart.

"Get out of my way. That's my son over there. Neither you nor anyone else can keep him from me." she said scathingly. I couldn't believe she had the audacity to make such a claim on the child that stood mere feet away.

"I'm afraid you are mistaken. There's no way that you could be his mother."

"And who the hell are you, his father's latest fuck buddy? I think I'd know my own son if I saw him. Now, get the hell out of my way before I move you myself."

I was careful to keep my voice level and quiet. "I will do no such thing. You wouldn't know your ass from a hole in the ground, Jessica," I said, and she recoiled as if I'd slapped her at the sound of her name. "Yes, I know exactly who you are, and believe me when I tell you again, that you are NOT that little boy's mother. I'm only going to say this once, so listen closely." I shifted closer to her and almost whispered, "You are not wanted here. Not by Edward, not by Masen, and most certainly not by me. The best thing you ever did for that child was walk out of his life and not look back. You really want to undo the only noble thing you have ever done in your pathetic lifetime by waltzing into his life and screwing him up? Well, I won't let you. Edward's too kind and good to tell you fuck off, so consider this your going away party. I couldn't care less where you go, but I'd suggest you just crawl back under whatever rock you slithered out from. That sweet child does not need your brand of crazy in his life, and I, for one, will do everything in my power to assure that he never has to be subjected to it." I paused to take a breath. Jessica's mouth opened and shut like a fish struggling for air. "Just... don't. Do everyone a favor, including yourself, and turn your cart around and go. I'd hate for those pretty extensions of yours to end up all over the floor. Go, Jessica, and I wouldn't contact Masen or the Cullens again. Edward's kindness will only stretch so far before it snaps."

I walked away from the scene, shaking and knowing that if I didn't put space between myself and the Ice Queen that I would find out how much force one needed to exert on cheap extensions to remove them from another's scalp. Masen was still looking at the carrots and dressings, not sure exactly what I had wanted. I was positive that he knew who she was, but I hoped he hadn't seen or overheard our final exchange. I quickly grabbed a bag of veggies and some ranch dressing, tossing them into the basket.

"Come on, sweetie, let's get back to the shop. I bet the men folk are starving. Why don't you steer the cart? I seem to be terrible at it today." Overjoyed to be driving anything, Masen's mood shifted back to the carefree kid I loved as I draped my arm over his shoulders protectively. I couldn't help but notice as he looked back to where Jessica still stood staring at us. I also noticed when he shifted so that he walked very close to me as he pushed the cart ahead of us. We met Rose and Alice on the next aisle and made our way to the check out. I breathed a sigh of relief once we were all in the Hummer and on our way back to Eclipse. That was until I realized I needed to tell Edward about what had just happened.

I was so nervous about telling Edward about what had happened at the store. There was the nagging feeling deep inside telling me that I'd overstepped my boundaries, and that he'd agree with me. He surprised everyone by calmly walking a few feet from the rest of us as he fished his phone from his back pocket. At first we couldn't hear what he was saying, but soon the conversation became more heated and his motions more animated. A few choice phrases floated over to where we looked on expectantly.

"If you ever fucking come near any of them again... I don't care who you think you are or what you think you're entitled to... restraining order...callous bitch...climb back on the broom you flew in on and get the fuck out of our lives. You'll be hearing from my attorney."

Later, after we'd all rehashed the bitchfest from the shopping fiasco and finished up with the bikes, everyone headed back to their respective homes. Everyone except me. I followed Edward back to his place with Mini perched on the back of my beloved bike, Janice. He was so cute begging to ride home with me that I couldn't refuse. We pulled into the parking space next to his dad.

"She rides so smooth, B! It's like riding on a magic carpet!" exclaimed the little man as he climbed off the back of my Hog.

"That's the beauty of a high performance machine, Mini. You get what you pay for."

"Watch it, woman," warned the gorgeous, windblown man standing next to me. "You happen to be in a committed relationship with a bike builder. You'd best watch what you say or you might find yourself in a heap of trouble. And you, young man! You had best remember what side your bread is buttered on." Edward nudged his son out of the way and drew me to his side.

"Aw, Dad," Masen argued as he returned the playful shove, "B and I aren't saying there's anything wrong with choppers."

"Yeah!" I agreed a bit too enthusiastically. Edward shot me an amused smirk, thoroughly enjoying the exchange.

"What were you two traitors trying to say then?"

"Just that... Janice ROCKS!" Masen cheered and jumped up to slap me a high five. We shared a hug that resembled more of a WWF move than an embrace and sauntered off, leaving a bewildered Edward in our wake.

"Hey! Wait up you two Benedict Arnolds!"

Edward ran to my place to pick up Mr. D while I stayed with Mini and got dinner started. Mini sat down at the piano and began to play.

"Sounds great, Mini maestro. Bring up the tempo a bit though," I called from the kitchen. Masen complied and moved onto another piece flawlessly. After one more selection I was finished with the dinner preparations. I dried my hands and went to sit with him on the bench. We toyed around with chords and harmonies for a few minutes before he flowed into a very familiar tune. It was "Need," the song I'd play when I found myself lost in thoughts of Reese. After a few bars he glanced sideways as me. "Sing it for me, B?" he requested.

"Why do you want to hear this sad song, little man? You doing okay?" I eyed him carefully. He hadn't shown any signs he was upset all afternoon, but it was obvious that he was, at the very least, shaken up by the encounter with Jessica. I hated that she'd managed to reduce this confident, outgoing kid to a quiet worry wart in one meeting.

"I'm fine," he assured me, "just thinking about some stuff is all."

"You wanna talk about it?" I probed.

"Nah. I just wanna hear you sing."

I watched him for a few seconds, and then I positioned my hands to take over the chords he was playing. "Here, let me. Just listen, okay?" He nodded his compliance and rested his head against my arm. I pressed a kiss to the top of his head, the unruly hair tickling my face. The gesture felt so natural, so...right. I waited for the beginning chords to loop around again and began to sing as he requested. The lyrics perfectly fit the emotions swirling around the room. It was as if he was using the song to let me know what thoughts were clouding that brilliant mind of his. I stopped singing to reassure him, "Masen, you know you're safe, and that Dad will always be with you, right?" The somber notes stretched out like vines around us; reaching and tangling in all the unspoken thoughts. His head nodded against my arm. "You are so very loved, baby. Nobody loves you more than your daddy, and nothing can change that."

"I know," he mumbled into the room, but he didn't sound convinced. By the time I'd finished the song, the brave little boy rested against me; his body weighty with the sleep that had overtaken him. Carefully, I turned to cradle him in my arms. Moments later Edward walked in with Darcy and found us seated at his piano: I was still humming to the precious man-child softly snoring against my breast.

"What's this?" Edward nodded in our direction. Darcy trotted in the room and sat next to the bench closest to Mini.

"I think the Jessica thing upset him a lot more than he let any of us know," I whispered. "The poor thing's exhausted. I think we should get him to bed."

"Did he say anything to you?" Edward looked so tired himself. I was worried about my men, and nothing brought me more joy than the thought that I might be able to help them both.

"Not really, sweetie. I did my best to reassure him that he was safe and very loved. He fell asleep while I was playing for him. Maybe he'll be able to talk to you tomorrow after he's had a good night's rest." Edward slipped his arms under Masen and lifted him to carry him to bed.

"Help me with him?" The request was so simple, but felt like it held more than the obvious plea to help ready the child for bed. I followed him with Darce close on my heels.

"Of course, I will. I'll do anything I can for _both_ of you. You know I love you." He pressed his lips to mine in a chaste kiss that told me he knew what I meant.

Once Edward had Mini changed and situated in the bed, Darcy hopped up next to his best friend. The two snuggled together as we tiptoed out to the hall. Dinner preparations were quiet with just the radio playing softly in the background. We were both too caught up in our own thoughts to say much. The gravity of the afternoon weighed on us. Edward broke the silence.

"Babe?"

"Yes, Edward?"

"Thank you."

"What for? I haven't done anything. Not really."

"Not true. You went all 'momma bear' on the bitch today and took care of the one thing that means most to me in this world. I can never thank you enough for that."

"Sweetie, I really don't know what to tell you. One minute we were shopping and the next I was threatening to go ghetto on your ex-bitch while your son looked on, possibly scarring him in the process. I'm not sure that warrants undying gratitude, but I can assure you that I don't regret it, and if given the chance I'd do it all again. That little boy has known nothing but love and protection his entire life. _You_ did that. You and your family. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I was forced to respond to the situation. It's nothing I deserve thanks for."

He reached across the table and held my hand. His thumb traced circles on the back of my hand. The warmth from his touch radiated through my body and sent the butterflies in my stomach on a flutterfest.

"Bella, you're wrong. You do deserve gratitude. Yes, for today at the store when you stood up to the bitch, but even more, thank you for loving Masen enough to do so. Thank you for loving _us_."

Edward leaned in to express his appreciation, and when the distance between us was too far to comfortably express his feelings, he pulled me out of my seat and into his lap. Our mouths met in sweet, gentle pushes and pulls. Our lips explored one another, roaming and reconnecting after an emotional day. We both tried to pour everything we felt into that one kiss. I felt his tongue tease my lip, urging me to grant him access. I willingly complied. As the kiss deepened, the warmth of my desire for this man's physical touch spread throughout my body and our dinner sat forgotten. Until the phone rang.

"Ignore it," Edward grunted between kisses. His hands finally caught up to the exploration his lips were privy to. He moaned when they brushed against the tender flesh of my breasts. The phone rang again, and again.

I grinned into his kisses. "Baby, answer it. It might be important." He whined like a four year old, but then his cell phone went off. A look of concern and a touch of fear washed over his face.

"Hello, Edward Cullen," he answered. From what I could gather from the one side of the conversation I was privy to, something was wrong. Edward confirmed my suspicions.

"Um, hun? I gotta run to Eclipse. That was the alarm company. There's either been a break in or something's set off the alarm. I have to meet the police at the shop."

"Oh, my gosh, Edward! Do you really think someone tried to break in?"

"It's happened before, sweetie, but I won't know until I get down there."

"Go then, and Darcy and I will hold down the fort until you get back." He looked worried about taking off. He looked over my shoulder in the direction of the bedrooms and the sleeping child tucked in his bed. "We'll be fine. Do what you need to and come home to us. We'll be here waiting."

He glanced in Masen's direction once more before pulling me to him and kissing me sweetly. It was a tender gesture of thanks. He grabbed his keys, pausing to press a kiss to my temple as I held the front door open for him reassuringly. "Thanks, babe. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Ride safe." I pleaded as he walked toward the elevator.

"Promise."

I settled on the couch to pass the time until the man I adored returned. There was nothing on T.V. that held my interest. I didn't want to risk disturbing Mini, so playing was out of the question. Deciding that reading was my best bet, I reached for my iPhone and opened the iBook app. I'd been reading this amazing series about a brotherhood of hot, bad ass vamps that I read every spare moment I had. Just as I was getting comfortable I heard a familiar jingle and the clicking of four paws on the hardwood. I looked up to see my companion and protector seated before me. "Hey there, big guy. You finally remembered who you owe your cushy existence to?" He rested his head in my lap as if to apologize for ignoring me. "It's ok, sweet boy," I absolved him with a scratch behind the ears, "He needs you and I understand." He thanked me with a swipe of his tongue on my bare leg. "Ugh, thanks, buddy."

Darcy joined me on the couch and we settled in. I was once again drawn into the world of vamps, Chosen, and Lessers when I heard a cry ring out from down the hallway. I sprang up and flew down the hall towards Masen's room with Darcy right behind me.

Flipping on the light, my eyes searched for him amongst the covers. Darcy was already on the bed, digging to get to his boy. I gently moved the beast out of the way and tossed back the bedding altogether. Masen shot up from the bed. Fear and tears covered his face. He looked so small and younger than I had ever known him to look. I reached for him and he plastered himself to me; he clung to me as if his very life depended on it. His breath was hot against my neck as the sobs erupted from his little chest.

"Shhhh, baby, shhhh. It's okay, sweetie," I whispered soothingly, "Shhhhh. You're safe. It was just a dream. Breathe. Shhhh, I'm here. I've got you, Masen." With one arm I held him as tight as I could without hurting him, the other rubbed circles along his back. He continued to cry, but the intensity seeped out of him with every passing moment. I felt his body relax against mine. The cries turned to sniffles and shudders, and I felt his arms loosen their death grip on my neck. I shifted his weight so he was sitting across my lap, his head cradled to my chest.

I continued to rub his back and coo reassuring things, and eventually he calmed and I felt his heartbeat slow to a normal pace. "Masen, sweetie, what has you so upset? Was it a bad dream?" He tightened his hold on me, so I reassured him, "It's okay, baby. I'm not going anywhere. Sometimes it helps to talk about it. It makes whatever upset you less scary. Can you tell me?" He never answered me. He just shook his head "no." Darcy moved to sit with us, gently pawing at Masen as if to ask if he was all right. The sweet animal laid his head in the boy's lap, offering what comfort he could. After a few moments a strangled voice broke the quiet tension.

"I dreamed she came and took me away," he offered.

"Who, baby? Who came and took you?"

"She did. She made me leave everyone and I tried to get back, but I couldn't. I was so scared and alone. All I wanted was to be with Daddy and you and Darcy. But she told me I was hers, and that I could never see you again." I felt hot tears roll down my skin, both his and mine.

"Oh, honey! It was just a bad dream, baby. No one can take you from us. I Promise. You're safe at home in your bed and Mr. Darcy is right here with you. No one could get past this beast even if they dared to try. Shush now, and try to relax." He nodded against me, but didn't seem convinced.

For the second time that night, my natural instincts took over. I began rocking the small child in my arms, humming into his sleep-mussed hair. Before I knew what was happening I was singing _her_ song.

_Your baby blues _

_So full of wonder _

_Your curly cues _

_Your contagious smile _

_And as I watch _

_You start to grow up _

_All I can do is hold you tight _

_Knowing clouds will rage_

_And storms will race in _

_But you will be safe in my arms _

_Rains will pour down _

_Waves will crash all around _

_But you will be safe in my arms _

A ragged sigh rumbled in his chest, causing his little body to shake in my arms. It had been many years since I'd sat on the edge of a bed and sang these words to someone. These were Reese's words, her lullaby, but singing them then to Masen felt every bit as right as they had all those years ago.

_Story books full of fairy tales _

_Of kings and queens and the bluest skies _

_My heart is torn just in knowing _

_You'll someday see the truth from lies _

_Knowing clouds will rage_

_And storms will race in _

_But you will be safe in my arms _

_Rains will pour down _

_Waves will crash all around _

_But you will be safe in my arms _

When he shifted in my arms I was reminded of all the nights she had climbed in bed with me, begging me to sing "her song." I snuggled him closer, reveling in the feel of him there. His hand on my back began to mirror the patterns I was tracing on his. I was surprised that he was comforting _me _just as much as I was him_._

_Castles they might crumble _

_Dreams may not come true _

_But you are never all alone _

_Because I will always _

_Always love you _

_Clouds will rage_

_And storms will race in _

_But you will be safe in my arms _

_Rains will pour down _

_Waves will crash all around _

_But you will be safe in my arms_

As I whispered the last words of the last line of Reese's Song, I realized that they had become so much more. They were Masen's song too. The sleeping child in my arms had healed a part of my heart that I feared never would. Careful to not wake him, I shifted him so that he lay back under the covers. I stood to turn off the light once I was satisfied that he was comfortably resting. I whispered to the mutt, "Stay with your boy, my sweet protector." Though, I doubted wild horses could have dragged him away from Masen. With one last look and light kiss to his forehead, I turned to leave the boy who had so completely altered me without either of us even knowing it to drift deeper into sleep.

"I love you, Masen."

"I love you too, Mom."

**~oOo~**

**A/N: There are some very special ladies in my life who bless me with their friendship and honest opinions about my subpar writing. My heart and thanks to my Pre-Riders: Barburella, FanGirl78, and LauraLoo7 . Thanks just doesn't seem to be enough. *Hugs***

**And finally a confession: In addition to this chapter being especially difficult to write I also added another fic to my list of things I really shouldn't be doing. It's a crazy, irreverent yarn where I take and torture Edward Cullen until he's just a shadow of the man he used to be. Sounds like fun, huh? Well, then check out "The Emasculation of Edward Cullen." The link's on my profile and that demanding little bastard gets to be updated weekly. **

**As always, thank you for reading. Your reviews touch me and bring joy to my cold, dead heart. :P**


	19. Daisies and Dreams

**A quick thank you to some very vital people. First to Barburella, without whom this chapter would not have posted. She has held my hand and kicked my ass to get this out. Thanks for your encouragement and friendship, Ellie. **

**Next to Tellingmelies, you are and always will be my muse, regardless of life's speed bumps. ILY.**

**To the Pre-Riders: LauraLoo7, Fangirl78, and the aforementioned Barbi: Your skittles are yummy and so very satisfying. Thanks for the feedback and smart ass remarks. I couldn't write without them.**

**Most importantly to my betas: TwilightMundi and DizzyGirl28, you two ladies teach me so much. Thank you for your patience and for not kicking my ass to the curb for all the crap I put you through. All my love.**

**Wow, that was a LOT of ass for one A/N! Baby got back! Enjoy the update!**

**Barbi and Liz's Road Trip Playlist:** _Come Over Tonight, The Right Way, You're The Reason I Come Home _by Ron Pope, _The Warrior_ by Patty Smyth, _Need You Now _by Lady Antebellum, _Hope Now_ by Addision Road, _Lost_ by Anouk.

**~oOo~**

**Chapter 18- Daisies and Dreams**

EPOV

I dragged myself into the condo, exhausted. I tossed my keys onto the table by the front door; the sound of them hitting the wood was loud in the near silence of the darkened room. It was two in the morning, and I figured Bella had gone to bed. I certainly hadn't expected her to wait up for me after the day she'd had. I walked though the condo making sure everything was shut off and in its place. I almost jumped out of my skin when I noticed Bella's form sitting stone-still, staring into the near blackness.

"Dammit, Bella! Fatal attraction much?"

"Huh? Oh. Sorry, hon. I was just thinking. I didn't even hear you come in."

Something was up. I could feel it. She seemed distant and I wanted to be sure she was okay. I was more than ready to just fall into bed with her pressed against me, but I knew there was no way I was going be able to sleep worrying about what was bugging her. I sat next to her on the couch and brushed the hair away from her face. She leaned into my touch. I took the opportunity to pull her tight into my chest. Bella settled against me, her soft curves yielding and molding perfectly to my harder edges. A deep sigh escaped her as her arms wound around my waist. Before I could ask her what was bothering her she spoke into the night, "What was the problem at the shop?"

"Nothing. False alarm."

"Really? What kept you down there so long?"

"Well, by the time we got there the police had shown up, and whenever they get called in there's paperwork to be filled out and they insisted on a walkthrough. Nothing was out of the ordinary, though. The safe was intact, and nothing had been disturbed so they just filed it as a false alarm." I didn't think it was worth mentioning that the police weren't convinced that it was a false alarm. No sense in worrying her when there wasn't any proof.

"Well, that's a relief."

"Yeah, but that's strike two. One more strike and they won't respond to any more calls for six months. I'd kinda hoped I'd get there before they did to see if we even needed them."

"But what if it hadn't been an accident and the place really had been broken into? Then what would you have done?" She sat up, the worry in her voice clear.

"Shhh, Bella," I soothed, guiding her head to rest on my chest. "It was probably just an animal that set off the alarm or some punk kids playing a prank. Everything's fine now. I'm sorry it messed up our evening, though. How were things around here?"

"Well," she started, her fingers swirling designs on my chest and stomach, "things were...interesting. Masen is clearly more upset about today then he's letting us all believe."

"What do you mean, sweetie?" The look of concern on her face both warmed my heart and worried me.

"After you left he woke up with a nightmare. He was inconsolable, Edward. I've never felt so helpless in my adult life. It broke my heart to see him so upset, and to think it was his _'mother'_ who did this to him!" I rubbed her back, trying to calm the tension that had her wound so tightly. "I think I got him to calm down enough to settle in for the night. Darcy's with him. I hate that he has to go through this."

"I know, baby. If I could think of a way to get rid of Jessica then I would, but it's a free country and unfortunately she can live where ever she chooses to. Until Congress passes a law against evil Ice Queens living in Florida we'll just have to get used to her being in town and try to keep our distance from her."

"I guess we can't get a restraining order against her, she hasn't really threatened any of us."

"Exactly, and even though she's bat shit crazy, I don't think she'd do anything to hurt anyone. Let's just hope she gets bored with small town living and moves on. Meanwhile, we continue to live our lives avoid her."

"That seems so unfair!" She bolted up from my chest and I immediately felt the loss of her warmth. "Why do _we_ have to adjust? Why does that sweet boy have to suffer through the selfish motives of that wicked bitch?" Bella was worked up, her voice just barely under control as she gestured towards Masen's room. "She doesn't want him, she just wants to get to you! How can she be so heartless?"

"Hey, sweetie, shhhh," I tried to calm her. I smooth her clenched hand and laid it over my heart, folding her into my arms. "We both know what Jessica is; we see right through her. She was wrong and it was definitely the worst possible time for her to approach Mini, but he'll get through this. He has plenty of people around him to love and protect him. And judging from your performance today, I'd say you are at the top of that list." She looked confused. A smile broke out across my face at the memory of the video I had seen of the incident and I kissed the top of her head. Carefully I slipped out from under her and went to grab my laptop. I pulled up the link to the clip the girls had sent me. I sat back next to my hellcat of a woman and nestled her close to my side.

Bella sighed against my shirt, sending shockwaves down my spine and straight to the growing situation that was becoming more difficult to ignore.

"Here, look at this..." I pressed play and a song started playing immediately. Two women stood toe to toe in what was clearly the produce section of a grocery store. Their voices were muffled, but you could still hear what they were arguing about. One was a stringy blond, the other a sleek, self-confident brunette. Could you guess who I was rooting for?

"What the...? Is that me? And Jessica? Is that from today?" Bella stammered as she watched the argument on tape.

"Yeah, Rose videoed the whole thing on her iPhone. You look so hot!"

"Shut it, Cullen. And is that 'The Warrior' playing in the background?" She was mortified.

"That's an affirmative! And you shush! This is my favorite part: when you set her straight and then tell her to fuck off."

"I never told her to 'fuck off,' Edward. Not in so many words. I can't believe Rose did this! I'm going to kill her. Oh, my god! Is this on YouTube?"

"Relax, Bella, it's not on YouTube, but it should be. Alice was in on it, too. Don't go off on them just yet. They wanted proof of what you'd done in case Jessica decided to make some shit up, and so I could see what kind of warrior princess I had sleeping next to me at night. And you make one hell of a hot warrior princess! I'm thinking _that_ should be next year's Halloween costume!"

"They said that? They called me a warrior princess? I'm not entirely sure I'm comfortable with your sisters giving me sexy nicknames."

"No, I did."

"Oh, that's okay then." Her mood flipped like a light switch. She hit the play button, and watched as the scene played out again. This time she laughed a little when it got to the part where she told Jessica to crawl back under her rock.

"Did you mean that?"

"Hell, yeah, I did! I'd strip the bitch bald in a heartbeat."

"No, hon, I meant the part about protecting Mini."

"Of course."

"God, I love you, Xena." I sighed against her hair.

"Xena, huh? Who does that make you? Hercules?"

"Well, I have been told that I'm god-like. Hercules will suffice; he's strong and all the ladies want him."

"You think a lot of yourself, pretty boy. Keep it up and you'll be sleeping alone tonight."

"Admit it. You think I'm gorgeous... you want to kiss me...," I sang to her teasingly.

'Did you just quote Miss Congeniality? I think I'm leaving now," she joked and tried to move away from me. I grabbed her arm and continued my serenade.

"You want to hug me... You want to love me... You want to touch me... You want to smooch me... You want to...," she cut me off when her mouth covered mine, consuming me with each brush of her lips. My heart and groin rejoiced when she climbed onto my lap, straddling me. I'd never been so happy to be pinned down in all my life. I'd have gladly stayed right where I was as long as it meant she didn't stop that circling thing her hips were doing over the quickly growing bulge in my shorts. The pleasure bordered on painful as she writhed and ground against me. The feel of her hands pulling at my hair had me pushing my hips up to meet hers. She was making these sounds that heightened my awareness of what she was doing to us both and came damn close to driving me insane. The air around us was thick with our need as we moaned our mutual desire.

"Take me to bed, Hercules," she ordered. Not being one to throw away an opportunity to get laid, I complied, lifting her easily and carrying her to my room.

"Your wish is my command, Xena." She buried her face in my neck and covered it in adoring kisses. I tiptoed quietly past Mini's door and into mine where she kicked the door shut behind us.

**~oOo~**

My son and I sat on our boards facing the horizon. This was our favorite place to just _be_: out past the breakers. We bobbed up and down on the gentle roll of the waves and watched a pod of dolphins swimming not far from us. The water was cold, but the air was unseasonably warm for January. It made the chill a little more bearable. That and knowing Bella was waiting on the shore with a thermos of hot chocolate. I could hear her playing with Mr. D behind us. I didn't have to turn around to know that her face would be flushed and her hair falling out of the ponytail I had watched her fix this morning. I could picture her perfectly. I felt the grin creep across my face at the image of my girl throwing a Frisbee to her mutt and watching us surf.

"So, Mini..." I started, my voice breaking the peaceful quiet we were cocooned in, "tell me about something new in your life."

"Like what, Dad?" He looked genuinely baffled by my request.

"I dunno. Anything. How's school?"

"Dad, you know how school is. I mean, you _are_ dating my _teacher_."

"True, smarty pants, but that doesn't mean I know everything that goes on there. Are you learning anything interesting?"

"Yeah, sure. The Associative Property of Multiplication is fascinating stuff," he deadpanned and rolled his eyes. I noticed that he was in need of a haircut.

"Okay, so math is less than exciting. What else is going on at that school of yours? How are your friends?"

"They're good." A font of information this one was not.

"Make any _new_ ones?"

"There's this new kid in class, does that count?"

"Well, are you friends?"

"Sure, I guess so..." It was like pulling teeth.

"Then, yeah, it does count." He made no effort to further explain his new friendship. I let the quiet settle in around us once again. We caught a few waves and resumed our posts. I looked back over my shoulder at Bella and reached up to catch the imaginary kiss she had blown at me.

"You've got it bad, Dad. Like really bad. I hope I never get like that. Uncle Emmett would say that you were puss-"

"Okay! I get your point," I cut him off, "and what have you been taught about repeating things you hear Em say?"

"Don't."

"Exactly. One day you'll be just as messed up over a girl as I am over Bella. This I promise you."

"No, I can promise _you_ I will never catch kisses. Ever." His tone was adamant, and I chuckled at the memory of him and his friends having a conversation about cooties just last summer.

"You say that now, son, but one day..." I let the prediction of his future love life fade out over the water. After a few moments of heavy silence my son spoke up.

"Dad? What's it like to kiss a girl?"

"Uh, well, nice. Really nice. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering. I see you kiss Bella all the time; it looks like it would be gross, but it has to be at least a little fun or you wouldn't do it so much. Right?"

"Yeah," I tried to suppress a laugh and ended up snorting. "It's fun, but it's more than just about having fun, son."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I kiss Bella because I love her, and I want to show her that. As nice as it is for me to kiss Bella, it's even nicer for her."

"Wow, think much of yourself, Dad?"

A laugh burst from my chest, "No, that's not what I mean, Mini! I meant that, for her, it's even better to know that I _want_ to kiss her. It makes her feel special, and knowing that she wants to me to kiss her makes _me_ feel like I've won the lottery."

"Okay, so let me get this straight, kissing Bella is like winning a million bucks?"

"Think more along the lines of Power Ball, son. Billions." I winked at him.

"Wow. That's lot of smackeroos."

"Yeah, literally."

"So how do you do it?" His voice was so quiet I almost didn't hear him over the waves crashing behind us. When I realized what he'd asked, I choked on the saliva that had flooded my mouth from thinking about kissing Bella. I was a real lady killer, alright.

"Do what, Masen?" I managed to rasp out. _Please let him ask me how to change the oil on a chopper, or build a space shuttle. Don't let him ask what I _think _he's going ask me about. _

"You know..._ kiss." _I didn't know if I should panic or be relieved that I'd dodged the "sex talk" and could put it off a little longer.

"Uh, well, you just... you know... pucker up and press your lips to hers. It just comes naturally after that."

"Seriously? That's all there is to it?"

"Yeah, seriously. Nature will take its course. But I have to warn you, son, you had best be sure she wants you to kiss her or you may end up getting slapped or shoved. Or kneed in the nads. Just saying."

"How do you know for sure? You know, that she wants you to kiss her?" I was so not ready for this conversation. What if I fucked this up and turned my son into some perverted real life Georgie Porgie who would run around kissing all the girls and making them cry? The pressure was overwhelming.

_Geez, Cullen! If you can't handle a simple talk about kissing how are you gonna deal with talking about bumping uglies?_

I had a vision of Mini and me sitting in my kitchen; me showing him how to put a condom on a banana while he sat eating one as I demonstrated the proper technique. A banana. He was eating a banana in my vision, not a condom. That would be... never mind.

I fought to reign in my overactive imagination. After a few (dozen) deep breaths, I answered his question as best as I could.

"You don't, son. You watch for signals and hope like hell that when you kiss her she's not gonna pull back and clock ya in the kiester. That's the best I've got for ya. Sorry, I guess I suck at this fatherly advice thing." That upset me. Really upset me, because I had always thought that I'd handle all this a lot better than I was.

"No, Dad, that's great advice." Had I mentioned that I didn't deserve this kid? I so didn't.

"Thanks, Mini. You're a great kid." He chuckled at my praise.

"Sure I am, I have you for a dad, don't I?"

We surfed a while longer, and I managed to squeeze a little more information from him before we headed back onto the beach. I finally got him to tell me about Eleanor, his new "friend" at school. Bella had told me about her, but I wanted to hear it from him. Hence the Spanish Inquisition. Turns out he was asking me all the questions so he could be prepared when the time came to kiss "Ella." It didn't escape my notice that he called her "Ella" and not "Ellie". It sounded so much like Bella. I made a mental note to ask that woman what the little heartbreaker looked like. I had a feeling the object of my son's desires had deep, chocolate brown eyes much the like the ones that brought me to my knees. There's just something about a brown-eyed girl.

**~oOo~**

Bella and I decided to go to Savannah at the end of January. With a little shifting around we managed to scrounge up a four day weekend to drive up and enjoy just being together. Masen went to stay with my parents and managed to talk them into looking after Darcy as well. It didn't take much convincing.

We left on Thursday night and drove the two and a half hours to our bed and breakfast. The Marshall House was a beautifully restored 19th century hotel in the heart of the city. Alice had found it online and insisted it was the perfect place for Bella and me to stay. So I booked a room for four nights in the B&B without question. We both knew it would be amazing, but we weren't prepared for what we walked into. It was classic Savannah architecture outside with the cast-iron railings on the second story veranda. Our room opened up to the shady balcony and overlooked one of the beautiful squares the city was renowned for.

Our room was tastefully decorated, not overly floral, thankfully. The bonus was a large claw foot tub that would easily fit both of us. I made a note to put that to use at our earliest convenience. We called home as soon as we were settled and then made our way down to the bay front to check out the shops along the boardwalk. We stopped for a bite to eat at Bernie's Oyster Bar, where the motto was "Shuck me, suck me, eat me raw." Bella found that to be particularly funny and insisted on buying an Emmett sized t-shirt to take back to my brother. I begged her not to encourage him, but she wouldn't hear of it. We spent the evening wandering in and out of storefronts, buying things here and there. She decided that we'd take everyone a t-shirt after stumbling into a store that carried nothing but Savannah themed shirts. Bella's favorite was the one she picked out for Rose. It had a hideous depiction of the skull and crossbones and the words, "Don't hate me because I'm BOOTY-FUL" on it. That just affirmed her choice for souvenirs, and we stayed in that shop until she had a shirt for everyone. I loved watching her giggle and snicker at some of the more ridiculous sayings. We headed back to the Marshall House with bags of shirts and some beautiful handcrafted jewelry Bella had admired. I insisted she let me get it for her. It was just silver, but it looked perfect against her skin.

That night we went to bed early. Sleep came quickly with my girl curled against my chest. I slept deeper and harder than I could remember sleeping in a long while, but I woke up remembering images of my love wrapped in yards of fabric straight from "Gone With the Wind." She swore I was murmuring, "Fiddle-dee-dee" in my sleep. I think she was yanking my chain. After tickling her mercilessly for laughing at my dream Bella, we took our time showering before heading down to breakfast. Of course we shared the shower, being the environmentally conscious couple we were. _Yeah, right_. We just wanted to take the shelf in the shower stall for a test run. I have to say that it was very useful. We made arrangements with the concierge to take a trolley tour of the city, so that we could see the sights, get a little history on the area, and we had transportation all day long to anywhere in the city.

We rode through the tour once, and then hopped off to see some of the more well known sights. Bella wanted to see the "Bird Girl" from the movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." It had been relocated to a small museum of modern art not far from our bed and breakfast. We walked around admiring the collection after finding the statue. We had discovered a series of photographs that were done by a local photographer that had chosen trees as his main subject. There were over five hundred images of trees from all over Savannah; some were in black and white, others had been brilliantly colored and manipulated, while some were simply left natural. My favorite were silhouettes of massive oak trees dripping with Spanish moss and the sunset glowing from behind. It wasn't much of a decision to stop in the gallery on the way out and purchase a few. It was while we were thumbing through the unframed prints that Bella chose to share some very interesting information. I had no idea that what she was about to share had the potential to change our lives forever.

"So, Edward... I received an interesting phone call last week."

"Really? Who was it?"

"A Mr. Brandon Stewart." She looked at me like I should know who that was. The confused look on my face must have spoken for me, because she quickly added, "From the New York Philharmonic Orchestra..."

I still was not following her. _Why was this guy for New York calling her? _

"New York? As in... city?"

"Yeah, goomba!" she bumped me with her shoulder teasingly, "New York City. The Big Apple. The city that never sleeps!"

"Okay, okay, I get it. Some guy called you from New York," I teased her back as I flipped through the print. "What did this hotshot want?"

"Um, well, he _was_ kind of a hotshot; he's the talent manager for the Philharmonic, for Pete's sake."

"Right. Gotcha. So, what did Mr. Stewart want?" The conversation was so bizarre and out of left field that I was just trying to figure out where she was going with this declaration.

"It would seem that he wants me." I stopped browsing and looked at her. For a moment I wondered if I'd hear her correctly.

"For what?"

"I was caught off guard when he called last week and introduced himself. He said that the Philharmonic had an opening for a pianist, and that someone had recommended that he listen to some of the work I had done."

"But how was he able to do that?"

"Years ago I had made some demos on a whim, thinking I might like to audition for some of the minor orchestras around the country. I was still in college, and while I knew I wanted to teach, a part of me wondered if maybe I wouldn't want to do the professional musician route instead. So I cut a few CDs and sent them out around the country. Brandon somehow got hold of one of those old sessions and liked what he heard enough to call and offer me an audition."

"An audition? With the New York Philharmonic?"

"Yep."

"Wow."

"I know, right? I still can't believe it."

We were quiet for a few minutes while we both processed the information she'd just shared with me. I decided on five prints and took them to the register to purchase them. I asked about having them framed and the gallery director said he knew of an excellent shop. He offered to have them sent over for us and said the owner would be happy to ship them to us when they were finished. I okayed the framing and thanked the man for his help. Bella and I walked out into the bright sun-lit lobby of the museum and I navigated us over to sit on a bench. The air hung thick around us with unspoken words. I pulled our entwined hands into my lap and fidgeted with the tips of her fingernails. When I couldn't stand it any longer I spoke.

"So what did you say to him? Are you going to audition?" She was quiet for longer than I thought the question warranted. I could have never guessed what she would say when she finally spoke.

"I already have."

I was stunned. _She already had? How? When? Where the fuck had I been and why hadn't I been privy to this information before now?_ My thoughts must have read clearly on my face, because she began to answer all those questions and more.

"It's not how it seems, Edward. After Brandon told me about the opening and possibility of an audition I didn't think anything of it. If anything it was flattering, but how could this man be serious? He was basing his decision on a recording that was more than three years old. For all he knew that was the last time I'd played. I actually told him as much and laughed at him when he started insisting that he knew that he wanted to hear me play live. That's when he asked if I had access to a piano. When I told him I was standing next to a baby grande he asked me to sit and play. Anything at all. So I did."

I had no words. I just looked at her, searching her face for some other answers that I could actually understand.

"When I came back on the line he said, 'Just as I thought. Still as talented as the day that demo was cut. Maybe even more so. I can hear the maturity you've developed even in the last few years. Bravo.' I thanked him for his overly kind words, and that's when he..."

I suddenly found my voice as she lost hers.

"He what, Bella? What did he do?"

"He... offered me the Principal Piano position."

"Right then? On the spot?"

"I thought he was joking at first. Then he started talking about making arrangements to fly up to New York to meet the music director and conductor... I almost passed out from holding my breath."

"I know the feeling. Trust me."

"Sweetie, please... don't be upset. I wasn't keeping this from you. I just wanted to have all my facts straight before I came to you about this."

"So when were you going to tell me, Bella? When you asked me for a ride to the airport?" I hated that my first response was to be angry and hurt, but dammit! She'd made a major decision that affected not just our relationship, but my son as well. _Masen! How was I going to tell him Bella was leaving? _I panicked as I tried to come up with something to tell Mini. He'd be crushed. I stared into the stark white expanse of marble that surrounded us. I could feel the sweat on my palms and let go of her hand to wipe mine off on my shorts.

"Hey, baby. Look at me. Edward," her hands cupped my face and gently forced me to look at her. "Sweetie, I didn't tell him yes. I told him I needed to think about it. I'm not going anywhere. I needed to talk to you about this first, before I went any further. You know that right? That I wouldn't make this kind of decision without talking about it with you?"

For the first time since she'd started talking my eyesight focused and I saw her – Bella - the woman I loved, and the reality of her not always being in our lives was overwhelming. I grabbed her and pulled her to my chest, wanting to keep her there forever.

"It's okay, Edward. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere until you tell me to go. I promise."

"Oh, Bella! Never. I will never tell you to go. I am far too selfish to do that. I need you far too much to live without you."

"Then I'm here. And I'm not going. I'll call Brandon and tell him 'Thank you but no thank you.'"

"Baby..." I kissed her there on that bench like I had never kissed her before. I poured everything into that kiss: every "I love you" I had ever let pass without saying, every drop of fear I had over her leaving us, every ounce of desire and longing I had for the woman in my arms. I kissed her like it was the last kiss I'd ever be allowed to give her, and she returned it completely. We were lost to the world around us and everything going on in it.

Somewhere from the general direction of the information desk came the sharp sound of a throat clearing. Twice. I glanced up to see a lovely young lady grinning widely at us, but shaking her head in mock disapproval.

"Let's get out of here, baby. I have a feeling our hostess won't approve of what I really want to do to you; we probably need a bit more privacy for that." I was growing more and more uncomfortable in the confines of my shorts. I wanted her in our room and naked immediately. She simply nodded her consent and let me lead her out to the street to catch our trolley back to the B&B. We never broke our physical connection the entire way. I simply couldn't stand to be separated by even inches after having thought I had lost her. We sat side by side on the bench seat, one arm draped behind her shoulders, tracing designs along her arm. She shuddered and I bent to gently kiss her, reassuring her I was in that moment with her and not lost in my head.

We held hands as we walked through the lobby and up the flight of carpeted stairs to our suite. I tucked her into my side as I opened the door and directed us both inside. Bella walked ahead of me, but I tugged her back, not letting go of her for an instant. Silently I led her through the French doors that opened to the bedroom. Knowing I would have to relinquish my hold on her to undress her I made a request of her, "Look at me, Bella. Don't take your eyes off me. I need to see you." She nodded in agreement and gazed at me with those deep, brown eyes. I relished the way her soft skin gave under the gentle pressure of my hands as I ran them down her sides. Gathering the hem of her shirt, I slipped the cotton tee over her head. My hands retraced their initial path to her waist, the warmth of her skin cooling in the air-conditioned suite. Our eyes were locked in their own embrace even though our bodies were not. Pausing at her waistband I smoothed my fingertips along the pliable flesh of her stomach. The muscles underneath coiled and retracted from my tickling touch. She giggled when I touched her the same way again; and a low rumble deep in my chest answered her as I kissed the sensitive area.

Thoughts of all the things I wanted to do to her played in my head as I flicked open the button on her jean shorts. Everything from images of loving her slowly, deliberately to scenes of loving her with wild abandon filtered through my mind. My erection strained at an uncomfortable angle, reminding me how badly I wanted us both naked. _She is so beautiful. She deserves so much, and I just pray she'll let me be the one to give it to her for a hundred forevers. _ I was the first to break our visual connection, but the physical tie kept us tethered to one another. My lips followed her shorts as they descended down to puddle at her ankles. Tenderly I lifted each foot, freeing her from the denim, caressing her legs as I made my way back up her long legs, nibbling and tasting as I went. I basked in the sensation of the feel of her mixed with her taste. Her hands combed through my hair, grasping and guiding me. Slowly I worshiped my way up her body. She stood there in tiny scraps of pink lace, allowing me to take my time in my pilgrimage.

I stood before her, kissing every inch of her bare skin. I traced the tip of my nose along the swell of her breast and breathed in the scent of the skin there. She smelled sweeter here than anywhere else. Another deep breath sent goose bumps erupting along her chest and caused the small buds under the lace to tighten and pucker. I greeted them with a languid swipe of my tongue, first one then the other. Bella moaned at the sensation, and I realized she hadn't said anything since before we left the museum. I whispered that I loved her and she mumbled the same in reply. It didn't take long for the thin material to soak through. Freeing her from the wet lace was my next goal, and I rejoiced when I was finally able to see her. I paid each breast homage, nibbling and kissing the soft skin gently until I was satisfied.

The air was quiet around us, charged into silence by the electricity that rolled off us in waves. The only sounds were our mutual gasps of pleasure and quick pace of our breathing. Bella began tugging my shirt up and I moved to let her pull it off. My mouth claimed hers and I felt my shorts hit the floor. I looked down at my nakedness, "My, my. Aren't we anxious, Dr. Swan?" The mood in the room shifted and suddenly there was a playful look in her eyes.

"I don't know about you, Cullen, but I'm more than ready over here. You, on the other hand, seem to be taking your sweet time." With a hand to my chest, she gently pushed me until I stepped backwards. I felt the backs of my knees hit the edge of the bed. "Fortunately for you I'm not the patient type." Before I could process what she'd just said, I found myself flat on my back. True to her words, Bella jumped on the bed, crashing onto my chest. Her mouth found mine, and I swear that kiss made my toes curl. Eventually I needed to breathe. I broke the kiss, reluctantly, leaving us both panting.

She began to kiss her way down my body, leaving a trail of sparks wherever her lips made contact with my skin. I gasped when I felt her hand wrap around my length and she began stroking.

"Oh, damn, Bella. That...that feels amazing, baby." Gently she grazed the tip collecting the moisture that had begun to seep out and slid back down. My hips lurched from the mattress, trying to meet her every move. As much as I was enjoying what she was doing to me, I knew that if she kept working me I wouldn't last long in her very capable hand. So I decided change the game plan. With a grunt I flipped us over. She was now beneath me, but still had a firm hold on my cock.

"Hey," she protested, "I wasn't finished. I wanted to taste you." The little minx pumped me a few times to make her point.

"I have plans for you, woman. That can come later." She released me, but continued to torture me by trailing her finger tips along my cock. I hissed at the sensation. "You make it hurt so good, baby. Don't stop."

"I have no intentions of stopping until I get a big finish out of you. I was hoping for dinner and a show. Since you gypped me out of my 'dinner' I'm demanding a show. Preferably, fireworks."

My hands roamed over the curves and valleys of her body, exploring the dips and swells. A soft moan escaped her lips, betraying her own need. She was so damn hot. From the moment I'd seen her in that classroom I'd known that there was more to this woman than a fucking hot package. I'll admit it was difficult to see through the lust induced haze she had me in, but something in me knew that there was so much more to Isabella Swan. Thank God we had come this far and I could finally see exactly what that something was.

Suddenly I didn't want to "play" anymore. I wanted to love her. Just her, not some vixen she was portraying.

"Bella...," her name whispered over my lips.

"Yes, love?"

"I need you. Only you. Let me love you, please," I begged.

"Oh, baby. I'm yours."

"Yes, you are, and I am yours. We belong together. Just like this," I slipped my hand under the elastic of her perfect pink panties. _Alliteration is a beautiful thing. I shall forever remember these as the three P's. _She cried out when my fingers reached soft flesh of her sex. She palmed her breast trying to alleviate the ache that was building. I loved watching her take control.

"Edward, don't tease me. Please baby, I need..."

"Tell me, love. Tell me and it's yours."

"You. I need you. Please..."

I mercifully pulled the perfect pink panties down her hips and sent them to join the rest of our clothes on the floor. Like a gift she lay there. A fucking perfect gift. Her ink caught my eye. I stared at it as it drew lazy designs on her pelvis.

"When are you going to tell me the story behind your tat, Bella?"

"As soon as you get me off! Now stop stalling and start get busy!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

I gently slid first one, then a second finger deep inside. The gasp that broke free nearly drove me over the edge. I purposefully moved inside her, searching for the spot that would make her come undone and scream my name. Repeatedly. She was so soft and wet. My own need was becoming painful. Curling and driving deep inside, I found what I was looking for. When I felt her begin to tighten and constrict around me I knew she was close.

"Uh, Edward... right there! Don't stop, I'm so close..."

Once, twice, three times she cried out my name. Each time louder than the last. She was about to cry out a fourth time, and I covered her mouth with mine, wanting to taste her, consume her.

Unable to wait any longer I covered her body with my own as she lay there still trembling from her ecstasy.

"Oh, god, Edward, that was intense," she managed to squeak out.

"I'm just getting started, Bella."

The room echoed with our moans as we reveled in the mutual pleasure of coming together. I pushed deeper until our hips were flush. Slowly I pulled back and was rewarded with a quiet, almost inaudible moan. When I push into her the previous moan was overtaken by a much louder, more forceful cry. Back and forth, I slowly rocked over her, each movement pleasurable nearly to the point of being painful.

"More, Edward. Harder. Just... MORE!" Her demands were easily met. I shifted our position before I quickened my pace. I draped one of her legs over my shoulder, allowing me to reach that spot deeply hidden. A sharp cry of agonizing bliss rang out each time I felt my tip hit against the very spot I was hoping for. She was close, and I was right with her. A few more thrusts and we followed each other into orgasmic bliss. I watched as her face contorted and then relaxed. It moved in sync with the contractions I felt gripping me. It was the most beautiful symphony of sound and imagery. I would take that image of Bella in bliss to my last day. It would be one of my most cherished memories. Knowing I had been the one who brought her to that moment, and that she wanted me and only me to be that man, was the most precious gift she could ever give me.

I moved to lie along side her, dragging the sheets over our rapidly cooling bodies. Her breathing was returning to normal. I was enveloped by her scent and what we had just done to one another. By chance or by habit, my hand rested on her hip over her tat. It traced the image there of the bird and the flower without my eyes needing to see the ink to guide it.

"I love you, Bella," I kissed her temple and smoothed the glorious mess her hair had become. _I did that. I made her a glorious fucking mess, and she's never looked more beautiful. _

"Ummmmm. I could tell," she quipped and ran her hand along my chest and shoulders. My little smart ass.

"Really? How could you tell?"

"That was a pretty fucking amazing show you put on there, Mr. Cullen. I'd suggest you take that show on the road, but you and I both know that's not gonna happen."

"Bella, baby?"

"Yes, my master of ceremonies?"

"Seriously? Well, at least I'm the master."

"Oh, believe me, you are the master. Of my lady bits."

"Nice. And what about your heart? Am I the master of that, too?"

Suddenly she was serious.

"Edward. You know you are. Every part of me is yours."

"So, your hands?" I pressed a kiss to her hand.

"Yours."

"Your lips?"

"Yours." Again, I kissed her.

"Your present?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" I nodded and caressed her temple with my nose.

"Your future?"

"For as long as you want me."

"That would be forever, love." I kissed her tenderly, hoping to convey the truth in what I said. "What about your past, Bella? Is that mine as well?"

She didn't answer me as eagerly as she had before. We both knew where I was going with this. I wanted to know the meaning behind her tattoo.

"Edward..."

"Don't 'Edward' me, Bella. Either I am the master of this too, or nothing at all. You have all of me. Every. Single. Moment. I want that from you, too. Don't shut part of you away. There's too much between us. Please." Quiet. Nothing came from her. I had begun to wonder if she'd fallen asleep. Just as I was about to begin to get frustrated she began.

"Mom and Dad were my world. They loved me with abandon. Dad used to call it the 'Swan Family Love Bubble.' He was a bit corny back then. Still can be at times. When Reese came along the love bubble expanded. You know how much she meant to me; we were each other's best friend, security blanket; she was my sunshine."

She took a calming breath and I pulled her closer to me. I silently caressed the hair that laid across her pillow.

"I can remember when it was just me, before Reese; Mom would tuck me in each night, tell me a bed time story and sing me to sleep. When Reese was born I helped her do the same for the baby. It was love at first sight when they brought her home. I couldn't get enough of my 'real' doll. As she got older I loved that she would come to me first when she wanted or needed something. And I loved that it was me that read her stories and tucked her in at night.

"She had a favorite bedtime story. I remember Mom telling it to me, but it was never my favorite..."

"What was your favorite, Bella?" I asked trying to bring her back to me. She'd begun to focus somewhere behind me, and I wanted this to be something she told me, shared with me specifically. It worked, because she looked me in the eye and smiled sadly.

"Rapunzel. As a little girl I was seduced by the miles of golden tresses, but as I grew up and life happened, she became who I related most to. She being locked away in a stone tower and me be being locked inside myself, it resonated with me. I so desperately wanted someone to stand under my window and call for me to 'let down my hair.' It's silly, I know. But you asked." She smiled a little more warmly.

"No, not silly. You should have had that, baby. That should have been your parents."

"But they couldn't, Edward. They were devastated when Reese died. I pray I never experience the loss of a child, but I have a feeling I have a pretty good idea what it feels like. Renee and Charlie tried so hard... I don't fault them for not seeing past their own grief. Hell, I'm just starting to see past my own."

"You're right, Bella. I shouldn't judge how they handled that. Please continue."

"Well, Reese loved the story about the Daisy. To this day I still don't get why she loved it so much. It was dark, and so sad..." her voice trailed off.

"Tell it to me?"

"Huh?" she looked genuinely confused.

"Tell me the story about the daisy, please."

"Um, okay. It's long."

"I don't care. I want to hear it."

"Alright. It's actually called 'The Daisy'."

"How original," I deadpanned.

"Stuff it, Cullen. Do ya wanna hear this or not?" she threatened, but her words held no bite.

"Stuffing! I'll be a good boy and listen to my bedtime story quietly. Cross my heart..." I traced an "X" over her symbol that was embedded my skin just above my heart. Her hand fingered the ink that represented her presence in my life. With a deep breath she told me Reese's "Daisy" story.

_In the country, close by the road, stood a farmhouse. There was a little flower garden with a painted wooden fence in front. Close by was a ditch, and on its fresh green bank grew a little daisy. The sun shone as warmly and brightly upon it as on the magnificent garden flowers, so it grew strong and proud. One morning it opened, and its little snow-white petals stood round the yellow center, like the rays of the sun. It didn't mind that nobody saw it in the grass, and that it was a poor despised flower; on the contrary, it was quite happy, and turned towards the sun, looking upward and listening to the song of the lark high up in the air._

_The little daisy was as happy as if the day had been a great holiday, but it was only Monday. All the children were at school, and while they were sitting at their desks and learning their lessons, it sat on its thin green stalk and learnt from the sun and from its surroundings how kind God is, and it rejoiced that the song of the little lark expressed so sweetly its own feelings. With a sort of reverence the daisy looked up to the bird that could fly and sing, but it did not feel envious. "I can see and hear," it thought; "the sun shines on me, and the forest kisses me. How rich I am!"_

_In the garden close by grew many large and magnificent flowers, and, strange to say, the less fragrance they had the prouder they were. The peonies puffed themselves up in order to be larger than the roses, but size is not everything! The tulips had the finest colors, and they knew it well, too, for they were standing straight and tall like candles, so one might see them better. In their pride they didn't see the little daisy, which looked over to them and thought, "How rich and beautiful they are! I am sure the pretty bird will fly down and sing to them. Thank God, that I stand so near and can at least see all the beauty." And while the daisy was still thinking, the lark came flying down, crying "Tweet," but not to the peonies and tulips- no, into the grass to the poor daisy. Its joy was so great that it didn't know what to think. The little bird hopped round it and sang, "How beautiful soft the grass is, and what a lovely little flower with its golden heart and silver dress is growing here." The yellow center of the daisy did look like gold, while the little petals shone as brightly as silver._

_How happy the daisy was! The bird kissed it with its beak, sang to it, and then rose again up to the blue sky. Half embarrassed, yet happy as it could be, it looked over to the other flowers in the garden; surely they had witnessed its pleasure and the honor that had been done to it; they understood its joy. But the tulips stood more stiffly than ever, their faces were pointed and red, because they were jealous. The peonies were sulky; it was a good thing they couldn't speak, otherwise they would've given the daisy a good lecture. The little flower could very well see that they were unhappy, and pitied them sincerely._

_Shortly after this a girl came into the garden, with a large sharp knife. She went to the tulips and began cutting them off, one after another. "Ugh!" sighed the daisy, "that's terrible; now they are done for."_

_The girl carried the tulips away. The daisy was glad that it was outside, and only a small flower; it felt very grateful. At sunset it folded its petals, and fell asleep, and dreamt all night of the sun and the little bird._

_The next morning, when the flower once more stretched open its tender petals, like little arms, towards the air and light, the daisy recognized the bird's voice, but what it sang sounded so sad. The poor bird had good reason to be sad, for it had been caught and put into a cage close by the open window. It sang of the happy days when it could freely fly around, of fresh green corn in the fields, and of the time when it could soar almost up to the clouds. The poor lark was unhappy as a prisoner in a cage. The little daisy would have liked so much to help it, but what could be done? The flower became very sad. It entirely forgot how beautiful everything around it was, how warmly the sun was shining, and how splendidly white its own petals were. It could only think of the poor captive bird, for which it could do nothing. Then two little boys came out of the garden; one of them had a large sharp knife, like that with which the girl had cut the tulips. They came straight towards the little daisy, which could not understand what they wanted._

_"Here is a fine piece of turf for the lark," said one of the boys, and began to cut out a square round the daisy, so that it remained in the middle of the grass._

_"Pluck the flower off," said the other boy, and the daisy trembled in fear, for to be pulled off meant death to it; and it wanted so much to live and go with the square of turf into the poor captive lark's cage._

_"No, let it stay," said the other boy, "it looks so pretty."_

_And so it stayed, and was brought into the lark's cage. The poor bird was lamenting its lost liberty, and beating its wings against the wires, and the little daisy could not speak or utter a comforting word, much as it would have liked to do so. So the morning passed._

_"I have no water," said the captive lark, "they have all gone out, and forgotten to give me anything to drink. My throat is dry and burning. I feel as if I have fire burning in me, and I can barely breathe. I can feel myself dying, and will soon part with the warm sunshine, the fresh green meadows, and all the beauty that God has created." It thrust its beak into the grass to cool itself what little it could. Then it noticed the little daisy, and nodded to it, and kissed it with its beak and said, "You must also fade in here, poor little flower. You and the piece of grass are all they have given me in exchange. You remind me of all I've lost."_

_"I wish I could console the poor lark," thought the daisy. It couldn't move one of its leaves, but the fragrance of its delicate petals scented the air. The poor bird noticed it, though it was dying with thirst, and in its pain cried out for mercy._

_The evening came, and nobody came to bring the poor bird even a drop of water. It opened its beautiful wings, and fluttered about in its anguish; a faint and mournful "Tweet, tweet," was all it could utter. Then it bent its little head towards the flower, and the Daisy's heart broke for want and longing. The flower couldn't fold up its petals and sleep while its friend suffered, so it just drooped sorrowfully. The boys came the next morning. When they saw the dead bird, they began to cry and went out to dig a nice grave for it. The bird's body was placed in a pretty red box; they wished to bury it with royal honors. While it was alive and sang they forgot it, and let it suffer in the cage; now, they cried over it and wished it were alive again. The piece of turf, with the little daisy in it, was carefully planted over the bare dirt. There the two remained together throughout the season; the poor, humble daisy marking the final resting place of its beloved songbird. _

I pulled her tight to me when she'd finished and kissed her head as if she were still that small child who needed this comfort all those years ago. She felt so small in my arms. Minutes stretched by before either of us spoke again.

"Reese is the lark," I whispered to her and my hand covered the image of the bird on her hip.

"Yes."

"And you are the daisy."

"You're very astute, Dr. Cullen," she quipped.

"They don't call me 'doctor' for nothin', doctor." The mood lightened a little. This was our way; serious tempered with the inane.

"Doctor Feelgood, maybe."

"Oh, yeah, 'cause I make you feel soooo good!"

"Okay, keep it up and I'll be forced to rename you something less flattering."

"Pft! Like what?"

"Not sure, keep it up and you'll find out," she put on her best "bitch face," but it was just an act.

"You love me."

"More than you'll ever know."

**~oOo~**

The rest of the weekend strolled by at a leisurely, southern pace. During the day we passed the time sitting in beautiful oak-shaded squares, walking hand in hand down cobbled streets, stealing kisses as we inappropriately displayed our mutual affection in public, and enjoying being tourists for once. We ate and drank at some of the most amazing places. Every night was dedicated to working off the tension we'd built up teasing each other throughout the day. When it was time to head home we were both ready to get back to our crazy family.

Once the car was packed with the hundred or so pashminas - whatever those are - Bella had gone apeshit over, we merged on to I-95 for the short trip home. Bella leaned across the console of the car and wrapped her arms around my bicep. She shifted to be able to cuddle against my shoulder. She was asleep in less than ten minutes. I stole glances at her while I drove, and I couldn't help think of how far we'd come in such a short while. Five short months. She had come into all of our lives and changed us. It was pretty clear that we were changing her, too. It was funny how love can do that.

**~oOo~**

**A/N:** **A lot went on in this chapter, that combined with the writer's block really backed this fic up. I apologize that it took so long to bring it to you. Thank you for being so patient with me. I love you guys!**

**Your reviews have been so encouraging. Thank you for sharing how this story is affecting you. That means a lot to this needy author. **

**The Story that Bella tells Edward is "The Daisy" by Hans Christian Andersen (1838). I took a few liberties with it in order to make it work for my story line, and help it flow a little better. If you'd like to read the original bedtime story, please visit: **

**http:/hca****(DOT)gilead(DOT)org(DOT)il/daisy(DOT)html**


	20. Acceptance and Alibis

_**A/N: **__I would like to thank each of you who continues to take this Ride with me. I realize my updates have been few and far between lately, but I assure you I have every intention of seeing this story to its completion. Your patience and support are overwhelming, as are your devotion to this plot and its characters. So, again, I thank you._

_**TwilightMundi, **__your tutorage in all things grammatical make you my Guru. Your kindness makes you my friend. Thank you for both, but I love you for the second. *hugs*_

_**Barburella**__, there are not words to thank you enough, so I'll just say that I love you, _yakira_. _

_**LauraLoo7,**__ you can whip my ass into submission any day. Thanks for reminding me why it is I write. Your love of the written word inspires me to hunt and peck until the last word is down and the story is told. *snuggles*_

_To the __**Musey**__. You are always there. Just under the surface. Waiting to breakthrough and flood me with inspiration. I will always love and need you. Always._

_**Barbi and Liz's Road Trip Playlist:**__ "Fallin For You" by Colbie Cailat, "Porch Light" by Ron Pope, "With Open Arms And Broken Hearts" and "This Too Shall Pass" by The District, "Don't Jump" by Tokio Hotel, "Black Orchid" by Blue October._

_Lastly, our story is coming to its apex, its climax. Something is bound to break, I just hope it isn't me. I'm very fragile, and I have a feeling these kids could easily shatter me into a million pieces. Hold on, Riders, the road is about to get a little bumpy..._

_Please remember that the talented __**SMeyer **__owns all things Twilight. I'm just taking her beloved characters for a spin._

**~oOo~**

**TRoYL- Chapter 19- Acceptance and Alibis**

**BPOV**

Savannah was perfection. It's easily one of the most beautiful cities I had ever been to. The tree covered squares, the architecture, everything about it speaks of romance and history. I can't have imagined a more wonderful way to spend several, uninterrupted days with Edward Cullen. The phone calls home to Masen reminded me of the one thing that was missing. Well, two actually- Masen and Darcy, but they were a package deal no; where one was, the other was close by. The only time the two were separated these days was when Mini was at school or I was staying at my place alone. My guys would stay at my place every once in a while, but on the rare occasion I came home Masen would always send Darcy home with me with strict orders to "take care of our girl." Lord, I loved that kid. I couldn't even think of the mutt as "mine" anymore. He was Mini's every bit as much as he was mine.

Masen had asked the sweetest questions about our trip when we would call to check in: were we having fun? Had we eaten any amazing food? How many ghosts had we seen on the ghost tour? Did we miss him? He made sure to give us the scoop on all that was going on back home. He had kept a running tally of how many times Rose had smacked Emmett upside his head for some pea-brained comment or another. The final count: sixty-three; I actually expected the number to be much higher than that, to be honest. Alice had been spending some extra time with him, listening to him practice the piano. Jazz had been helping him write something new on the guitar. His grandparents were in heaven spoiling him rotten (as if that were even possible). Edward was convinced there would be no living with the kid when we got back, and neither of us could wait to get home and see the munchkin.

We arrived in town Monday afternoon; stopping at the Cullen's to pick up Mini and the mutt before going back to Edward's condo. We had the most amazing dinner together. Edward cooked for us and afterward, he played the piano while Masen and I stood side by side at the sink washing up.

"I'm really glad you're home, B. I had a lot of fun while you guys were gone, but I missed you." My arms wrapped around him instinctively, pulling him close. I melted when his arms circled my waist as he tucked into me. As I mushed a kiss onto the crown of his head, the thought that his hair was as soft as the man he so perfectly resembled slid effortlessly through my subconscious.

"Aw, we missed you too, little man. So much. We talked about you the whole time. I promise you we'll all go someplace together next time, oaky?" I felt his head nod against my chest.

"Sounds like a plan, B. I vote Disney World or Miami," he said with certainty.

"Okay, I get why Disney, but... Miami?"

"'Cause there's hotties down there, duh!"

_Of course, what was I thinking? _

"Then I vote Disney. I don't need to be competing for you and your dad's attention. Minnie Mouse is the only female I want posing in pictures with my men."

"Aw, B, you don't have anything to worry about. When it comes to you, there is no competition." I pulled away from him and gave him a reproachful look.

"Man, you _are _your father's son! Right down to the smooth talkin'."

**~oOo~**

Life settled into a comfortable pattern. Edward's life with Masen grafted seamlessly with my own. Things seemed to be better than we could have hoped for. And yet, I had more than a few unresolved concerns regarding the offer from the New York Philharmonic, despite the fact that I'd assured Edward that I wasn't interested; I wasn't entirely convinced of that fact myself. On one hand, I was flattered to even be offered such an amazing opportunity; it was truly an honor, and a large part of me wanted to be worthy of it. On the other hand, I knew it was impractical. My life was in Florida with Edward, Mini, and our families. I had a well-respected job that paid my bills and fulfilled me immensely, but I still felt as though something was missing. I had no clue what that "something" was, so I did what I always did when I needed to think: I rode. I hopped on Janice and took off full-throttle up A1A. I had no idea where I was headed; I just rode. I looked out over the waves as I cruised along the coast. A sharp pang of longing gripped my chest when I passed by Edward's condo without pulling in. Janice almost turned as if she were on auto pilot, but I kept her straight. I wanted Edward, but I needed clarity more at that moment. I may not have had all the answers, but the one thing I knew was that I had to figure what to do on my own before I went to him with this.

The scenery passed by in a blur; how I ended up parked in front of a small beach hut of a house in Jax Beach was beyond me. Yet, there I sat in front of my mother's house, the faded blue paint chipped and pealing, and the sheer curtains billowing from the open windows. The front door sat propped open at an inviting angle, while the screen door kept the mosquitoes and other bothersome pests safely outside where they belonged. I shut off the engine and shoved the kickstand down before removing my helmet and climbing off the bike. With a sigh I walked to the door, tentatively climbing the few stairs to the front porch. My hand shook a little when I went to knock on the weather-grayed wood. I had no fucking clue what I was doing there, but I figured I should at least stop in.

"Mom? Phil? Anyone home," I called into the dark house.

_Of course they're here, dummy. Who just goes off and leaves a house open like this? They call you a Master of music? I'd say more like a master of the obvious. _There was nothing like a little self-deprecating inner dialogue to get one's spirits up.

I was relieved to hear my mom call out from somewhere in the house that she'd be right there. I was relieved that I didn't have to stand out on the porch belittling myself like a crazy person for much longer, and more than slightly relieved that I wouldn't be forced to conjure up all manner of disturbing scenarios to explain the lack of activity in the unusually quiet and open house. Ever since we lost Reese I had a tendency to let my overactive imagination run away from me when things were out of the ordinary. I could easily imagine Renee and Phil being abducted by anal-probing aliens or walking in on a bloody scene where both had been decimated by bloodthirsty wolves as plausible explanations for why my mother and stepfather weren't answering their door in as timely a fashion as I deemed fit. Patience was never really one of my strong points.

Mom appeared at the screen door with a dishtowel in one hand and a saucepan in the other. I had apparently caught her in a rare moment of domesticity. It was these moments that would send me back to my childhood when we would all be lazing around on a Sunday afternoon. Reese and I coloring in a book together while Mom and Dad did some odd job around the house, or me playing piano while my sister lay nearby quietly playing and requesting her favorites.

"Hey, Baby Girl! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," my mother exclaimed as she swung open the screen door to let me in. "Come in! Come in! Would you like some tea? I just brewed a fresh pitcher!"

"Hey, Momma," I kissed and hugged her- pan and all. "I'd love some tea. I can get it, though. I didn't mean to just barge in and turn everything upside down."

"Nonsense! Come on in the kitchen and keep your old mom company. Hey, Phil! Our girl is here!"

I heard a commotion in the garage and moments later the door to the kitchen flew open. "Bella! I thought I heard the distinct sound of a finely tuned machine outside! Did you ride Janice here?"

Phil scooped me up and spun me around the tiny space. Things had always been easy between us. Phil never tried to replace Dad, but he always made sure I knew he loved me as if I were his own. What kid doesn't want more love? It was nice knowing that I had someone extra in my life who was looking after my best interest. Besides, Phil always viewed his role in my life as the uncle that got to spoil his favorite niece rather than a father figure, and if he wanted to spoil me then I was more than happy to oblige him. "What brings my favorite girl over?"

I chuckled as I settled into a chair at the little table in the kitchen. Mom brought me a glass filled to the brim with sweet tea, ice and lemon rings. "Honestly, it wasn't planned. I just started riding and this is where Janice bought me. Guess she thought I needed to see my Floridian parental units."

"Well, I always did love that bike," Mom piped in.

"Its a thing of beauty and smart to boot; just like our girl," Phil agreed.

"Cut it out, you two! You'll give us both inflated egos. There'll be no living with us."

"So what's new? How's Edward and that sweet boy of his?" Mom asked as she stood with her back to the sink, drying as we chatted.

"Everything's wonderful. Edward and I just got back from Savannah recently. It was so perfect. And Masen? He's... everything. I think I love that kid as much as I do his dad." I felt the heat creeping up my neck into my face.

"They're both blessed to have someone like you loving them, sweetie. It makes my heart smile seeing you so happy," Mom gushed.

"I really am happy, Mom. I can't remember ever being this happy."

"Oh, baby, that's so good to hear." She rushed to pull me into a hug. I don't know what about that gesture made me break, but suddenly I was in tears. Big, fat drops fell from my eyes, and before I knew it my quiet cry became an all out snot fest. Mom drew me closer, "Honey! What's the matter? Don't cry, sweetie," she soothed and comforted me as only my mom could.

"I don't know, Mom," I wailed, "It's just..."

"What, honey, just tell us," she prompted. We sat at the table and she took my hands in hers; rubbing her thumbs over my knuckles. I stared at our hands. If I looked at her I knew I'd burst into tears all over again.

"I got a call out of the blue the other day, from the New York Philharmonic. They've pretty much offered me the principle piano, if I want it." My voice sounded small and shaky. I was so afraid to make this public knowledge. If it was just "mine" to know then I could keep it a secret how it was quickly becoming something that I might want. Once it was out there it would be difficult to lock those budding desires away again.

"No way! Seriously? How did this happen? When did this happen? Are you going to accept the chair? Bella! This is amazing!" It was nice to hear someone else's excitement about the situation. Until then, the only other person I'd told was Edward, and his reaction had been less than positive. The pride in both Mom and Phil's voices was evident, and they helped me to relax and enjoy the moment as well. How many times does a girl get an opportunity like this one?

I told her all about the phone call and we talked about the offer; well, what little I knew about it. We discussed what it would mean as far as the changes in my life. That was the hardest part; considering the offer meant that I had to consider leaving Edward and Masen. That, in a nutshell, is what hurt the most. I felt like I was betraying them simply in my consideration. Voicing those fears to my parents brought on a fresh wave of tears. My head sunk to the table and it felt as if my heart might break. Mom let me cry, and then handed me a box of tissues.

"Baby, I know this is hard, but I think you need to seriously look into this offer. Go to New York. Hear them out. You can't make a solid decision without all the information. You may get there and realize that there's no way in hell you could do what they're asking of you. Or, you may get there and realize that is exactly where you need to be, but you can't know for sure unless you go. Don't put the cart before the horse. Stop worrying about what_ might_ happen. Besides, I don't see why this has to be a 'choose one over the other' situation. Why can't you have both?"

"That just seems selfish, Mom. How can I ask them to put their lives on hold for me? And I kinda already know how Edward will feel about this."

"How can you possibly you know that, Bells? You aren't a mind reader," Phil quipped.

"No, but he all but said that he didn't want me to consider leaving."

"When was this, baby? Are you sure he was talking about this specific instance?" Leave it to my mom to try to find a loophole.

"I told him about the call when we were in Savannah. I got the feeling he wouldn't be too open when he flipped out over even the idea of me leaving. I may have made a huge mistake when I promised him I wasn't going anywhere."

"Oh, sweetie. You can't be held to a promise like that, and Edward's a reasonable man who loves you deeply. Give him a chance. I think you'll be surprised."

"Fine. So let's say I go to New York, and I decide that I want to do this. Do I leave the only thing that's made me feel whole? Can I do that?"

"What do you mean, Bella? You've had a wonderful life," my mother argued.

"I know, Mom, but I've never felt like it was mine."

"I'm confused, baby."

I sighed, not quite sure how to tell my parents about the very void that I'd spent my entire life backfilling just so they'd never see it.

"I know that I'm blessed. I have a fantastic job, three of the most amazing parents, a beautiful home, wonderful friends and a ready made family ripe for my picking. I get that, and I am so very grateful for all of it. But..." They sat looking at me expectantly. "But there's many times when I can't help but feel that my life would be very different if Reese had lived." My voice tapered out to a whisper. Both looked at me, patiently waiting for me to clarify.

"Most of the decisions I've made in my life have been a direct result of her loss. Mom, she's still so much a part of me. It's almost as if she's still here. I've felt this driving force pushing me to do things that I might not have done if things had been different."

"Like what, Bella?"

"Teaching, living with Dad, staying in Washington, moving here, everything, really. Everything changed when she died."

"Oh, sweetie, of course it did! She was the light of all our lives. But, Bella, life is full of moments that alter the course it's on. I still don't see how Reese's death is affecting the decisions you make regarding _your_ life."

"She'll never do these things, Mom! She'll never get to stand in front of a classroom of kids and impart words of wisdom to them, she'll never see how much you and Dad would have been proud of her when she walked across that stage to graduate, and she'll never know what a huge hole she left behind when she died. I just feel like I can't waste this life I've been given when she never got the chance to live hers. Every choice, every decision I've made since waking up and learning that she wouldn't be doing the same has been weighed against what she would have done or wanted. I've tried to make the most out of the life I was given and not waste the one she lost." The breath shuddered from my chest, threatening to shake free the sobs I was so desperate to hold in.

"Isabella." My mother never called me by my given name, and to hear it meant the words that followed were grave, and not to be taken lightly. "My darling girl, I- _we_- are so proud of you. Your dad, Phil, and I could not have asked for a better daughter than the one that sits before us now. You have accomplished so many amazing things in your young life, but make no mistake, _you _accomplished those things. You, not Reese. This _has_ been your life, not hers. When will you stop seeing yourself as the 'one who didn't die' and see that you're a survivor? And while it may not have been fair for her to have died so young, she lived every moment on this earth to the fullest. _That _is what you should be striving to carry out as her legacy, not these 'unfulfilled dreams' of hers. You aren't doing yourself or Reese any favors doing things that you think she would have done if she had lived."

The tears flowed freely down my face as my mother sat across from me and told me, finally, that I was enough. That my being there, even though Reese was not, was not only enough, but everything.

"Baby, you can't live for her. She's gone. Sure, she's with you in spirit, and knowing that you still feel her so strongly after all these years touches me more than I can express, but you have to let her go. You've made this cage for yourself from her dreams, her 'might-have-beens.' You have to set yourself free, Bella. And if New York is freedom for you then you need to fly, sweetie. But, you won't know until you try. At least try. Please. For _you_."

My mother held me like she did when I was small. She let me truly mourn my sister's loss as we sat there at her kitchen table. Phil, her rock, sat there with us rubbing each of our backs as we cried and healed. Mom's soft "I love you"s soothed me until I could breathe without sobbing. Then, typical of my mom, she fed me vegetarian lasagna with sauce made from tomatoes she'd grown in her garden. I left that night promising them both that I would call Mr. Stewart about going to New York. Even though I felt lighter than I had in a long time as I rode home on Janice, I couldn't help but feel like I was about to let someone I loved down.

Old habits die hard.

**~oOo~**

Renee was right, I needed to look at things from a different perspective. For far too long I had been living my life- no, not my life, Reese's life- from inside a cage. I knew there was so much that I could be doing, so much more I dreamed of doing, but instead I hid behind the bars that I had erected in order to keep the big, bad world at a safe distance. While it may have worked for a time, the safety I perceived to have constructed within its bars was doing more damage than good in the long run. I had no idea who Isabella Swan was. Everything I had dedicated my life to was a shadow compared to the dreams I held as a child- dreams I dared to dream when I was really safe. Dreams of beautifully shined instruments poised on a stage, lights shining down on a lone bench, a sea of enraptured listeners masked by the dark of the house, and myself sitting in the midst of it all, playing some of the most beautifully composed music the world has ever heard. I had very little in my life that I could look around and distinguish as unique to the things I desired out of life. That was, apart from Edward and Masen. Those two were the only aspects of "Bella" that I recognized as being solely mine. Everything else: the teaching, the settling, the fear of being "more;" that was someone else. Sure I loved teaching, but I loved the music more. I was starting to see that the teaching was a means to an end; my way to connect to that part of me and Reese that died with her. Every time I taught I felt close to her, felt her presence in my life; but some small part of me wondered if it was enough.

I may have never had the courage to see for myself and admit that maybe I needed _more,_ had it not been for that call from the New York Philharmonic. The invitation to do something bigger than me, bigger than the dreams I'd let myself dream, sacred the shit out of me. What did I, little Bella, know about performing? I hadn't played in front of an audience larger than an elementary school assembly in over fifteen years, and that last time had been a disaster. One tends to avoid repeating those experiences in life that leave us scared and embarrassed. Especially when said experience happened not long after one lost her entire life.

Renee and Charlie had just officially split, and Renee and I had moved to Florida to be near her family. I was having a hard time adjusting. I'd started piano lessons with a new instructor, she was good at what she did, but was overly impressed with my abilities as a child musician. I guess she saw me as her meal ticket. The woman was more concerned with getting me interviews with conservatories and schools that catered to budding, young artists than teaching me anything new. Eventually, she arranged to have me participate in a concert with several other young students. I was last on the program, and the uncomfortable, knotted feeling in my stomach continued to work itself tighter and tighter. I wanted to get out there and show everyone what I could do, show them how beautiful I knew the music could be, but I had no idea how to overcome the fear. By the time I walked out and took my place on the bench I was a ball of nerves and shaking like a leaf. With my hands perched over Middle C I took a deep breath- and proceeded to puke all over the ivories. It was horrible. I was whisked off the stage and over a bucket. That was the last time I performed in front of a large audience. Of course, I had to give concerts as I got older, but they were all on a much smaller scale, and with time I overcame my intense fear of the stage. When the time came to give my final student concert I actually enjoyed being in front of small audiences. I was no longer that scared little girl who questioned her life. Or so I thought. As it turned out, I had just buried her deep inside, and later she'd creep out when I least expected it.

Right after I completed my Master's I was invited to participate with a select group of musicians in a showcase for the major contributors to the School of Music at UDub in hopes of generating more funds to the college by means of generous donations. What better way to do this than by parading your most recent and highly acclaimed graduates? There would be performances from all of the disciplines, but the piano would be in the spotlight that evening with my performance being one of the last. By that point in my life I had all but overcome my stage fright; at the most it was a severe case of butterflies just before I went onstage. That night it manifested itself as a rogue hiccup or two, and a cool glass of water settled those before my time came to take the stage.

Dressed in a stunning grey, floor-length strapless formal gown I stood in the wings waiting my turn to walk across the stage and sit at the bench. The theater was filled with deep pockets and thick checkbooks, not to mention my family, past professors and mentors, and every friend I'd made in the past six years at UDub. The excitement to have the opportunity to show those I loved and respected what I was fully capable of canceled out any remaining nerves, and with utter confidence I walked across the stage to take my place at the piano bench. A courteous, welcoming applause followed me to my seat as I situated myself at the keys and got into position. The crowd settled into a quiet charged with anticipation. Hands poised, feet perfectly placed, everything was in order, and yet the music never came. Somewhere between waiting in the wings and sitting at the bench I'd managed to forget everything I knew. It was like a blank slate in my head, like I'd never seen a piano before, much less played one. I must have sat there in silence for close to five minuets before I was ushered off the stage. For the second time in my life and career as a concert pianist I had suffered debilitating stage fright; if that wasn't a sure sign that I wasn't meant to be a performer, then I had no cue what could be a clearer one. I walked away from any hopes of becoming a concert pianist and the instructor in me took firm root.

It was a shock, after all these years, to have the performing bug bite again. The suddenness of it all threw me, and left me doubting if this was just a whim to try one more time to fulfill that childhood dream of being something "more." Or, was this who I was always meant to be but never became? Back at home, I decided that this was _my_ time. My chance to see what it was I was made of. Mom and Phil saw that this was something worthwhile, and since I was too big of a chicken and unwilling to bring the topic up to Edward again and risk his not understanding my need to at least try, I decided to take their advice and simply visit the NYC Philharmonic and see what they were offering. With my mind made up to go to New York, the only thing I had left to do was come up with a convincing cover for where I was going and what I'd be doing once I got there. I seriously lacked any skills when it came to telling outright lies, so I sent up a silent prayer that it wouldn't come to that.

**~oOo~**

New York was easier to pull off than I had imagined. I didn't need an elaborate plan explaining where I was going or why I'd be out of town. It just so happened that Edward was called out of town the same weekend I was scheduled to visit Mr. Stewart and the orchestra. I flew out on Friday after school let out and was back Sunday before he even knew I was gone. Still, I felt as though I had done something that I needed to keep from him. A part of me, whether rational or not, felt that he would never understand and just try to talk me out of thinking about it at all. Much like he had in Savannah. Not that I would ever imagine Edward would try to stop me from going to New York, it was just that I doubted that he would see why this would be something I needed to do. And who was to say that anything would come from me going to New York. I didn't see the point of upsetting him or Masen if this turned out to be a passing whim. Better I make this trip quietly than worry either of them about a possibility of me pursuing the Philharmonic. As far as he knew, I had all I needed right here on the shores of Ponte Vedra Beach. Perhaps, just a few short weeks ago he would have been so very right, but I wasn't sure that was the case so much anymore.

So, I snuck off like a thief in the night to the Big Apple to meet with Mr. Stewart. It was an interesting experience, one I found myself wishing I could share with Edward on more than one occasion. The W was beautiful, and the view of Times Square was stunning. Brandon Stewart met me for dinner, where he explained the next day's agenda. A tour, an overview of what my commitment would be to the production, and a brief meeting and live audition with the music director. The latter was just a formality, one that I didn't mind complying with. Lincoln Center was impressive. To be standing there was exhilarating, but nothing prepared me for the feeling I had when I stood on the main stage. It was thrilling and terrifying at the same time. And I could imagine myself back there again, at some point. I was treated to a very thorough tour of Avery Fisher Hall by Mr. Stewart, where I was ushered behind the scenes into a large, albeit simple, music room. Seated in the center of the room was a stunning grand piano. Stewart explained that after I'd had warmed up a bit and felt comfortable enough, that we would be joined by a few others who would then sit in on my official audition. It all rushed past in a whirlwind, and over before I knew it. I'd like to think that I executed the piece flawlessly and conveyed every ounce of emotion I felt at that moment, but to tell you the truth, I could hardly remember what I'd chosen to play. When I was finished I was thanked profusely for my time and effort, commended on my talent, and informed that, should I accept it, they wanted to extend an invitation to me to perform as the Principal Piano.

I was returned to my beautifully modern hotel room where I ate a decadent meal, alone. As I sat there I wondered what I was doing in this city by myself. Then I remembered that I was okay with alone, just not with lonely. I had done alone for most of my adult life. That was, until Edward and Mini came into it. I could do alone again, but I hoped and prayed that I wouldn't have to.

That night was rough. I fell asleep amongst the backdrop of the City's lights winking at me through the open drapes of my windows; with Edward's voice in my head, his love close to my heart, and his possible response to the news of my semi-betrayal weighing heavily on my mind. For the first time in a long time my dreams were dark and disturbing like those of my youth, but instead of losing Reese as I had every other time I dreamed of that horrifying night, it was Edward and Masen who were the victims. They were who lay broken and bleeding in my wake.

**~oOo~**

**A/N: **_I warned you. Just trust me, okay? I love each of you and will see you soon. I'll be moving this month, so I'm not sure you will see an update before February, but Edward is already chomping at the bit to tell his POV, so you never know. If you need fluff, or something else to read you can check out my other (And VERY different) WIP, __**The Emasculation of Edward Cullen. **__Or you can read what I like to refer to as "Kick Ass Writing" and read "__**Click & Strum" **__by __**Bratty-Vamp**__. (www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/6476738/1/Click_Strum) Feel free to read anything by this talented lady. I soak up every word she puts to page. Until next time, thank you and be safe. _


	21. Secrets and Storms

**A/N:** To she who makes my words sparkle: I call you the Grammar Guru for a good reason. I don't deserve your patience or your time. Thank you for both. *Hugs **TwilightMundi***

Dear Riders, I can't adequately express how grateful I am that you are still following this fic. Thanks to real life, it has literally been forever since the last update. Just a reminder of where we are in the storyline:

-E and B went to Savannah to get away. They had crazy monkey sex in a beautiful hotel room. (Well, at least they did in my mind.)

-B went to see her mom and they had a little heart to heart where Renee convinced B to go to NYC and hear what they were offering. (Wow! Run on sentence much?)

-B went to NYC, but kinda sorta didn't mention her plans to E. (Some of you guys chewed my ass out for that. Your passion for this fic made me smile!)

Even with all that went down in my RL between the last update and now, the one constant remains that I do not have any legal claims on Twilight things. I'm just taking Stephanie's characters for a ride. Oh, and they don't sparkle here.

**Barbi and Liz's Road Trip Playlist:** (Okay, so **Barbi** didn't have any suggestions for this chapter, but its still one-half her playlist so her name goes in the title!) _Battle _by Colbie Caillet, _Done All Wrong_ by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, _Fair Fight _by The Fray,_ Lies _by Glen Hansard, _Hurricane Drunk_ by Florence and The Machine, _Heartbreak Warfare_ by John Mayer, _Open Arms And Broken Hearts _by The District, _Crashing Down_ by Mat Kearney.

Rough roads ahead, my dears. Buckle up, and don't say I didn't warn you, because I did.

**~oOo~**

**Chapter 20- Secrets and Storms**

**EPOV**

There's always the calm before the storm, and we're more than well acquainted with storms here in Florida. Hurricane season is obviously when we are most likely to see the worst Mother Nature has for us, but as any Floridian knows, living on a peninsula with your ass hanging out into the Atlantic Ocean means always being ready for a storm. Still, there are some storms you just can't prepare for. Case in point, the shit storm that I unexpectedly found myself in when I came home. I'd been out of town over the weekend, taking care of some business in Tallahassee for Eclipse Choppers. I hated being away from Mini and Bella, but the trip was necessary, and I silently wondered when I'd become such a pansy that I couldn't spend forty-eight hours away from a woman. Granted, she was the woman I loved, but still...

I'd already stopped at my condo to drop off my things and I spent some time with Mini. He was less interested in filling me in on what he'd been up to than in the new XBox game his Uncle Emmet had bought him in my absence. I personally think that I'm infinitely more interesting than a game. My son's opinion on the matter: not so much. After that warm homecoming, I decided to visit the person I knew would welcome me with open arms. I pulled into her driveway and sighed as I clicked off the ignition. The winter air was brisk, and the wind coming off the water was making the cold sting just that much more. Taking the stairs two at a time to her front door, I rushed to see the one person I needed to see most at that moment. I let myself in with the key Bella had recently entrusted me with. She had a key to our condo as well. It just made sense. I had a feeling she wasn't home when my presence at the door wasn't met with ear-shattering barks. Instead, Chaucer the cat rubbed against my ankles in a rare greeting, so I stooped down to scratch his head.

"Hey there, little man. Where's Beauty and the Beast?" I asked as I made my way through to the kitchen.

"Meow," Chaucer answered.

"Well, you're a big help." _That's what you get for talking to a cat, Einstein._

I noticed a slip of paper on the counter.

_Beloved,_

_Took the mutt to work off some pent up energy on the beach. (He was driving me NUTS!) Walk over if you get here before we get back. Can't wait to see you._

_Yours,_

_Bella_

I quickly locked the door and took off across the road to the beach where my girl would be waiting. I froze at the sight of her and took in the view. She stood facing the water watching the waves advance and retreat, with her shoes in her hands and her arms wrapped around her middle. I wondered how she could stand there barefoot in the cool sand. Dressed in a long, flowing lavender skirt and a thick sweater that made me crave vanilla ice cream, she looked to be contemplating the mysteries of the universe. The wind gusts made her hair and skirt dance around her; she might have been blown away if not for her feet being anchored ankle-deep in the sand. I stood mesmerized as the wisps of hair obscured her profile. She was a vision.

Darcy was a few yards away, chasing the waves and playing with a seashell he'd found rolling in and out with the surf. He would dart back and forth between Bella and the water, enticing her to play with him. She'd wrestle the shell from the beast and toss it down the beach, and he'd take off after it, splashing as he galloped back. The mutt must have caught my sent in the wind, and came barreling over to me. His muzzle found my hand as soon as he was close enough. I happily returned his greeting with ear rubs and head scratches. Bella turned to see who Darcy was so eager to greet. The smile that bloomed across her face when she noticed me made my heart stutter in my chest. I obliged Darcy's request to play as I tossed the shell he had deposited at my feet, and then moved closer to the woman I loved. The ten steps to Bella seemed like a hundred yards. My hands reached for her, seeking contact. The moment I touched her I knew I was home. I felt more than heard a contented hum as I nestled her against my chest, and realized the sound was coming from me.

"Hi, you," she greeted me and pressed her face into my shirt inhaling deeply.

"Hi, you, too." I rubbed my hands across her back and along her arms, trying to keep the chill off the cream of her sweater.

We stood there letting the breeze and surf speak for us. There wasn't much more for us to say, really. The waves spoke to the wind, _"How was your journey?"_ And the wind replied, _"It brought me back to you."_ The waves responded by curling closer to her beloved wind and resting on the shores of life with him. They knew that tides and fronts would separate them again at some point, but they rested in the knowledge that they would always meet here on the sand given enough time and the right conditions.

What? I can be a tad sentimental when it came to my girl and being apart from her. All that mattered was that she was with me in that moment. She chose that moment to shiver.

"Come on, sweetie. Let's get you and the mutt home and warm, then we'll head over to Mom and Dad's. The crew will already be there, I'm sure." She nodded and called to Darcy. We headed back across the road to her place, keeping the mutt on a tight leash until we were safely in her garage. After a quick rinse and towel dry for the third of us covered in fur, we all made our way up to change and then drive over to Cullen Family Sunday dinner. I made a quick fire for Darcy to roast in front of while Bella got ready.

"Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge. Be warned, it's slim pickins in there, love. I haven't had a chance to run to the store since I got- off Friday. It's been a busy weekend. I think there's a beer or two. Or you can open a bottle of wine."

"No, beer's fine. Unless you want wine," I called up after her. "I swear, if Darcy gets any closer to that fire we'll have roast beast on our hands." I chuckled at the thought.

"He knows not to get too close," she assured me. I could hear the faucet in the shower groan and complain as she turned the water on. "I guess singeing the fur off your rump has a lasting, educational effect on dogs."

I tried not to pout at the thought of Bella taking a shower and me not having a front row seat to the event, but I figured there would be plenty of naked time later. So I conceded and looked for the bottle opener to pop the top off my beer. I went through four drawers looking for the stupid opener, and the fifth one was a bust, too.

_Damn! Where did she keep that stupid thing!_

I was getting frustrated and nearing dehydration. I was close to prying the medal top off with my teeth. The only thing that kept me from actually doing it was the mental image of my mother hovering over me squawking, "Edward Anthony Cullen! Don't you dare use your perfect teeth that your father and I spent six thousand dollars in orthodontist's fees to have fixed!" By the sixth drawer I had given up all hope of drinking the warming beer. As I looked down into my last ditch effort with little to no expectation of finding what I needed, something- not the bottle opener- caught my eye. It was a boarding pass for a flight from NYC to Jax. Curious, I picked it up and saw that it was in Bella's name, but even more telling was the date. It was the same date as the one marked on the fridge calendar proclaiming: "Edward's Home".

_Today's date? Why does Bella have a ticket from NYC? No- not a ticket, a _boarding pass_. As in, she took a flight from NYC to Jax... _today_? This is from today? That makes no sense._

I stood there, my beer and the quest to open it forgotten, and tried to figure out what Bella could have possibly been doing in New York this weekend. And why I wasn't aware that she had planned a trip in the first place.

_"_Hey, you, whatcha doin'?" Bella stood in the doorway, freshly showered and dressed, with a quizzical, scrunched-up look on her face. I slipped the pass back into the drawer and closed it carefully, not wanting her to think I'd been snooping.

"Looking for the bottle opener to open this beer. Jeeze, Bella, where do you keep the damn thing? I think I've looked in every drawer in this kitchen!" I feigned exasperation over not finding the utensil, but the feeling was wholehearted. I was trying very hard to not jump to conclusions but failing miserably.

"Well, silly," she bounced across the room and pecked me on the lips with a quick kiss, "That's because it isn't in a drawer." Reaching around me, she plucked it from the side of the refrigerator where it was hanging and handed it to me. She seemed very pleased with her ability to solve my problem. I hoped she'd be just as pleased to answer the questions I had piling up in my head about what the hell had been going on while I was gone.

"Of course not. Who in their right mind keeps kitchen utensils in their kitchen drawers? I should have known," I teased as I popped open the now more warm than cold beer that I had really lost interest in. Bella grabbed a Diet Coke and hopped up on the counter in front of me. She took a sip and placed the soda on the counter next to her.

"When do we have to be at your parents'?" She knew very well that we were expected at six sharp.

"The usual time." She got a twinkle in her eye. The one that said, "Oooh, the clock over your left shoulder says that we have just under an hour to fool around before we have to make ourselves presentable and rush to your parents' for family dinner!" I really fucking loved that twinkle. I returned her twinkle with an eyebrow waggle, because my eyebrows were sex personified (or so I've been told). They ranked second only to the mop of sex hair perched just north of them. (Bella's terminology, not mine.) She saw my waggle and upped the ante by raking her fingers through my afore mentioned sex hair and pulling my mouth to cover hers. I shifted to stand between her knees; she kissed me with such fervor that it was clear we were going to be there for a little while and I wanted to be as thorough as possible. Sure, I still had questions, but I'm a mere mortal man, you wave sex- or the possibility of something resembling sex- in front of us and we're happy to postpone anything that doesn't involve National Security or playoff games for professional sports. As far as I was concerned, my questions would still be there after I got some nookie. Bella's revved up libido, however, was less likely to hang around while I got my answers. So I went with the sex.

There's no better feeling than Bella's touch, her skin sliding over my own, the tingle that remains there in the wake of her fingers- or better still, her tongue. And she chose that moment to remind me of that fact. Her tongue forged slick trails down along my neck, pausing only to pepper its path with open-mouth kisses that served as mile markers on the journey to ecstasy. My head rolled back on my shoulders, granting her better access to bare skin. She barely slowed when she reached the barricade of my collar, simply tugging it out of her way and continuing. While her tongue worked its way south, her hands were busy paving a northbound lane up under my shirt along my torso, working in tandem to meet some magical place in the middle.

"Off," she tugged at my shirt. The order registered somewhere in my sex-haze filled brain and I complied, pulling the offending article over my head. Not one for missing out on the fun, I relieved her of her shirt as well. It joined mine in a neat little pile that I had high hopes would be growing steadily bigger. I may or may not have moaned like a little bitch when she paid extra special attention to each of my nipples. Again, not one to be outdone, I pulled off her bra and ran my hands over every inch of her soft, bare skin, teasing and pinching at her taught peaks. My name tumbled from her lips in a breathy whisper. She panted against my skin, pushing me closer to insanity with each hot breath.

"Damn, Bella! Reunion sex is almost as good as make-up sex!" I grabbed her hips pulling her closer to the edge of the counter and my straining erection.

"Ugh, the past few days have been hell, Edward." Those long legs wrapped around me and she ground her hips, rubbing her the heat of her arousal against the hard proof of my own, seeking friction to ease the tension we both felt. "I hate being that far away from you. There ought to be a law against us being nearly a thousand miles apart."

_Whoa! A thousand miles? Since when was Tallahassee a thousand miles from Jax? And when was she planning on telling me that I wasn't the only one who had made a little trip this weekend? _

Her blunder just confirmed what I'd found in the drawer: Bella _had_ been out of town while I was gone, but the "why" eluded me- for about fifteen seconds. Then I remembered her telling me about the phone call she'd received inviting her to come to NYC. The haze in my head instantly cleared, and I focused on the questions rolling around. I gripped her by the shoulders and pulled back from the fantastically sinful things she was doing to me with her mouth and hands and... heat. It took her a moment to catch on that I was taking a detour from the brown chicken, brown cow reunion sex that was trying to play out on her kitchen counter. When she did, though, the confused look on her face was all the confirmation I needed that she hadn't planned on telling me anytime soon. If at all. I searched her eyes hoping that she'd have answers I'd want to hear. I needed to find out what the fuck went down in the forty-eight hours that I'd been gone. Maybe I hoped she had a sick aunt that she had rushed to see. I'd never heard that she had any aunt, much less one that lived in NYC. Maybe I hoped that she would grin at me at tell me that she had flown up the coast to pick up a rare, one of a kind double bound 1968 Rickenbacker vintage guitar to surprise me with. It was a shot in the dark, but a hell of a lot better than the alternative. But she just sat there, looking at me like I was the one who was losing his mind. I took a deep breath a stepped back just far enough to be able to look at her without crossing my eyes.

"Bella," I started, "I feel like you have something you need to tell me." I hated that, even to my own ears, I sounded like I was using the "dad" voice. She was a grown woman, and free to go wherever she damn well pleased, but she was hiding something from me, and I wanted to hear it from her. Directly.

"Edward, you're right, I do have something I need to tell you..."

_I knew it! _I wanted to shout those three words and fist pump the air in triumph that my "Spidey Senses" had been right on the money.

"I need to tell you that you need to get your sexy ass back over here so I can finish doing dirty, unspeakable things to it."

_Okay, that's so not what I was expecting her to say. But, fuck! That was sexy as hell! _I had to shake off the haze that was creeping its way back into the folds of my cerebral cortex and threatening to drag me under into a sexual fuzz. _Focus, Cullen! _

From that very first moment in Bella's classroom all those months ago, I knew the hold this woman could have on me. I'd been powerless against her even then; it only made sense that I was much less capable of resisting her after knowing what she had to offer. Not to mention that every fiber of my being cried out to connect with her every moment of every day. Having to deny that need, especially with her that close, was damn near impossible. But somehow I did the impossible.

"That's not what I meant, Bella, and you know it," I stated in a level voice. Rather then dragging the situation out with a game of cat and mouse I simply reached to the drawer next to us and pulled it open just enough to retrieve the ticket. "What is this?" I asked nicely, I swear it. I didn't growl, I didn't demand, I simply... asked.

"I think it's obvious what it is, Edward. It's a boarding pass," she answered in an equally calm voice.

"Yes, I can see that, Bella, but can you tell me a little more about it?" Getting a straight answer out of her was like pulling teeth sometimes!

She sighed deeply, like the weight of the world was resting on her shoulders. Looking down at her hands she asked quietly, "Can we not do this right now? I really don't want to have this conversation before we have to be around your family the rest of the evening. I _want_ to discuss this, just not this minute." Her voice pleaded with me to let the issue drop, but I just couldn't.

"Well, Bella, I really don't want to go hang out with family and have this hanging over us. I won't be able to think about anything else all night. Just tell me what the hell is going on and we can discuss it in more detail later, if that's what you want."

"Believe me," she scoffed, hopping down to retrieve her shirt, "you'll still be brooding over this all night anyway, so what's the point in doing this more than once?"

"Just tell me why you were in New York this weekend. The rest of the details can wait for later." I watched as she slipped her shirt over her head.

"No they won't, because you won't let them. You're just going to want more information, and some of it I'm not ready to give you yet. I swear I was planning on telling you all about this weekend, but I needed some time to get a few things worked out first. Can you just trust me, please?"

"I do trust you, Bella. I just don't understand all the secrecy and the sneaking around. Is it another guy?" Her head shot up and a look of disbelief shadowed her face. I regretted the question before I even finished asking it, because I already knew the answer, but I had to be sure.

"Of course not," she cried, "How could you even ask such a thing?"

"Then is something wrong? Is someone sick, are _you_ sick, Bella? Because if you are then I will do everything in my power to make sure-"

"No, sweetie, I'm not ill," her tone softened and reassured me. "Everyone is fine, I promise." With a deep sigh she resigned. "Fuck, I guess getting this over with now is better than you coming up with all these obscure possibilities." She took my hand and led me into the family room where the mutt still lay in front of the fire. We settled on the couch next to each other, and she turned to face me. "I went to New York this weekend while you were gone."

"Yeah, I kinda got that idea from the boarding pass," I thought I'd said that with humor, but the furrow in her forehead told me that there might have been more smart ass than humor. "Sorry. You were saying?"

"I wanted to actually _tell _you, to say the words. I'm not hiding anything from you, Edward. I fully intended on telling you all about this weekend."

"Really? When, Bella? At dinner with my family? After we came home? Next month?" Sarcasm tinted my words, making me sound a bit like a prick. I was trying to stay calm, but the more I thought about it the more upset I got. Bella took a deep breath; knowing Bella it was an attempt to keep her cool and not lash out at my outburst.

"Tonight. I was going to ask about your trip and then tell you about going to the city. Can I just explain without you interrupting? Things will make sense and you might not end up looking like an ass when this whole conversation is over." I bristled at her candor, but the no nonsense look she gave me told me I was jumping to conclusions and well on my way to perfecting my impression of a jack ass. I nodded for her to continue.

"We talked in Savannah, albeit briefly, about the invitation I received to join the NYC Philharmonic. I know I said I wasn't interested, but honestly, Edward, I hadn't even had a moment to really think that through. I simply responded to your reaction over the possibility that I might accept. In the past few weeks I've thought about it more, and after talking to my Mom and Phil I realized that simply dismissing it wasn't the solution. I owed it to myself and to NYPO to hear them out and see what it was they were actually proposing."

"What, so you jumped on a plane the first chance you got the moment I left town?" My rational side was starting to check out, my natural inclination to assery taking over. I could feel the air thicken around us, just like it does right before a storm.

"It wasn't like that at all, Edward!"

"It sure looks that way, Bella. You haven't mentioned this since Savannah. I assumed this was settled."

"Settled? It was never even considered. As far as you were concerned, it was nonnegotiable. Not going to happen. Not an option. It wasn't as if I could talk about this with you even if I'd tried. Judging by the way you reacted last time, it was clear that you would have never been open to having this discussion; much less be unbiased enough to talk about it seriously. So I went and talked to my family. I didn't purposely keep my going a secret, it just all kind of happened so quickly. I planned on telling you, and then you had to go to Tallahassee that same weekend. Then I just figured we'd talk when you got back. It wasn't my brightest moment, but there was nothing malicious or underhanded about it."

"You knew before I left," It wasn't a question, merely me stating a fact. "You knew, but didn't say a word. Did my family know?" I now worried that I was the only one who was out of the loop.

"No, only my Mom and Phil."

"So, it _was_ a secret." And I hated secrets. More than anything, I hated secrets. They tore people apart, broke trust, destroyed families. I felt like I was reliving the Jessica shit all over again. Even though I knew Bella was nothing like Jessica, I couldn't stop the fear and feelings of helplessness from washing over me in waves.

"Dammit, Edward, my going to New York wasn't some big, bad secret I was keeping from you! I'm not some conniving bitch trying to keep you at arm's length! This is something I've been struggling with, and when the opportunity came up for me to find some resolution, I took it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was going, and I'm sorry that I didn't involve you in the decision, but you didn't seem too keen on the very idea, much less willing to talk about it rationally."

"Don't put this on me, Bella. If you'd have just come to me and told me what you were thinking then we could have talked-"

"That's bullshit, Edward, and you know it. Can you honestly say that if I had admitted to you that the New York thing held even a modicum of interest for me that you wouldn't have blown your gasket?"

"You make me sound unreasonable," I accused.

"Only when it comes to certain things, Edward. The possibility of the people you love leaving is one of those things. But that's beside the point. This was my decision to make. I needed to think it through and decide if it was even something I wanted to bring up, because I knew it would be a huge decision for all of us. Why go through all of the debating if I wasn't even sure New York was something I might want? So I went. I went to New York to see what they were offering and what they were requiring. I _am_ sorry that I went without telling you first. I regret that, but I don't regret going. I needed to go. Now I know that New York _is_ something we need to talk about. They've offered me a trial position with the orchestra for the summer with the option to extend my stay if it all works out."

"It sounds to me like you've already made up your mind."

"No, not at all. I'd never do that without you. Edward, so many times... more times than I can count, I tried to bring this up with you. Each time I would think about your reaction at the museum and lose my resolve. Because it kills me to see you upset or hurt, and I knew that having this discussion would be difficult. But we are both grownups, and we need to talk about it like the adults we are. I can't protect you from every hurt, and I need you to help me make the right decision. "

"Don't go. That's the right decision, Bella. You have a life here. A wonderful life, and you are a fool if you walk away from that."

"See? This is what I was talking about. You don't want to talk, or listen. You just want what you want. Aren't you even curious about what I'm thinking? What my reasons are for wanting this gig?"

"What I'm curious about is how you could just walk away and not look back." As far as I was concerned, it _was_ Jessica all over again, and all I could think about is how I'd sworn I'd never let this happen to Masen again.

"What? Walk away? Who said anything about walking away, Edward? I wouldn't be leaving you. I'm not going anywhere, at least not as far as this relationship is concerned. Are you saying that if I took the job then we would be finished?"

That was exactly what I was saying. I wouldn't let another person put me or Masen second again. She couldn't have her cake and eat it, too.

"How exactly do you expect us to continue if you're a thousand miles away, Bella? How can you be a part of our lives if you're not here? Masen deserves better than that! And if you can just up and move so you can chase some _dream_, then you're no better then Jessica!" I stood and paced, no longer able to contain all the nervous energy building in me.

"I am NOT Jessica, Edward!" Bella jumped up, enraged, "How _dare_ you compare me to that bitch! I love that boy, and I love you! I can't believe you're reacting this way! I can understand that you're pissed that I didn't tell you that I was going to New York, but this is ridiculous. I'm _not_ her. I _don't_ want out. I want you and I know you want me, too. But for some reason you're freaking out!"

"Love? You have a funny way of showing it. I'm 'freaking out' because you're keeping secrets from me, Bella! You're sneaking around, making plans without me; of course I'd think that you don't want us anymore. What else don't I know about?"

"Oh, please, this is getting ridiculous!" She threw her hands in the air and moved across the room. It felt like she was on the other side of the continent. "Remember earlier when I insinuated that you were unreasonable? Well, I'd like to thank you for proving my point, Edward. I'm trying to talk to you about this, but all you can do is blow up and throw around ultimatums. I'm not a child. I am a grown woman who is more than capable of making rational decisions for herself. I've been doing it for years now with no help from you. You haven't once asked what my reasons are for considering this possibility, and by the way, that's all I've done so far, considered it. I've collected the information necessary for me to make an informed, rational decision, but I have not made one yet. I had hoped to talk it over with the man I love and come to some kind of decision that was best for all of us. Instead I'm sitting here, arguing with a mad man and defending my love for him and his son. _THIS_ is why I waited to tell you. This is why I haven't been exactly up front with you. I'd like to thank you for making what was already going to be a difficult conversation absolutely fucking miserable."

"So this is my fault now? You're the one keeping secrets, but I'm the irrational one," I scoffed. She had some nerve.

"Edward... I'm not doing this. I'm exhausted, we both are, and you're _not_ being rational."

I tried to argue, but the phone in my pocket buzzed. I fished it out-_ Emmett._

_**Where the fuck are you guys? I'm starving! Stop sucking face and get your asses over here before Mom has a coronary! **_

I wasn't about to relay that message. I opted to edit instead, "Emmett says Mom is holding dinner for us..."

"Just go. I've lost my appetite. Tell Esme that I'm sorry that I missed dinner." She turned her back to me and faced the fire, staring as if it held the answers to all of our problems.

"Bella, I really think we need to finish this..."

"Not right now, Edward. Just, please go before we say anything else that neither of us means. Call me later, once you've calmed down and you're really ready to talk."

"Alright." It was lame, but it was all I could manage. As I heard the door click closed behind me I thought of a thousand different things I could have said to her. Seemingly, one for every mile between New York, New York and Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. But driving away I realized there was one I needed to say more than any of them. I sent her a text:

_**I love you.**_ _**~E**_

_**I know. Be safe. ~B**_

**~oOo~**

**A/N:** Go ahead, throw things at me. Yell at me. I deserve it. I won't even complain or hide.

The next chapter is two-thirds of the way complete. I expect to update in the next week to ten days. Don't expect sunshine and rainbows to be flying out their butts, though. Just saying...

Special thanks to **Barburella** and **Tellingmelies** for pre-reading this and reassuring me that is indeed angsty enough. I'm a procurer of the fluff, not the angst, so this doesn't come naturally to me.


	22. Goodbyes & Good Luck

**A/N: **I can't begin to tell you how difficult it was to write this, but it was what was next on the outline, so I had to do it. Hate me if you must. I'm a big girl and I can take it. Barbi says that I'm only hateful if I don't warn you to have tissues handy. So, if you're a crier then you might want one or two. (_"Or an entire box!"- Barbi_)

Thanks to** TwilightMundi **for making it look pretty and helping me to not look like an illiterate fool. I love ya, and thanks for not writing me off. *hugs*

To** Barburella**: Thanks for not letting me give up. This fic will have an ending because of you.

**To those who are still reading: **Thank you. I don't deserve your attention. I can only hope to reward you by bringing you the next chapter in a much more timely manner.

**Barbi and Liz's Road trip Playlist:** _"Bluebird"_ and _"Breathe" _by Sara Bareilles,_"Already Gone"_ by Kelly Clarkson, _"In My Arms"_ by Plumb, & _"Breathe" _by Taylor Swift.

**Disclaimer:** SM own it all. Except the pathetic A/Ns. Those are all me. Sorry about that.

**Brief recap of Chapter 20:**

-Edward found out about Bella going to NYC and that she was seriously considering accepting their offer.

-They fought.

(Told you it was brief.)

**Chapter 21- Goodbye and Good Luck**

**~oOo~**

**BPOV**

I had lain in the dark all night, thinking about Edward and the way things had played out earlier. It was the worst fight we'd ever had. Actually, it was the only fight we'd ever had. When the sun came up I was no closer to understanding anything then when I'd gone to bed. I just couldn't understand why he was being so dramatic. Okay, sure, if I took the position in New York we'd be separated for a while, but plenty of other couples did the long distance relationship thing and were just fine. Edward and I were solid, or so I'd thought, and if any two people could make a short term, long-distance relationship work it would be us. I would miss him with every fiber of my being. It would be one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my adult life to leave Masen and the little family we'd formed. Edward and Masen had become my world and I loved them, but I couldn't just ignore that I had this driving need to go to NYC and take part in the amazing opportunity to play with the New York Philharmonic.

What I wrestled most with, though, was why Edward felt so strongly that I shouldn't go. It hurt me that he couldn't see this from my perspective, that he wouldn't even hear me out or have a rational discussion about the situation. He had the audacity to compare me to the ex-bitch!I would never leave him or Masen or hurt them like she had. He knew this, and yet he had no problem throwing her mistakes in my face. I think that hurt more than anything: that he doubted my feelings for them. I had cried hot, angry tears into my pillow and clung to Darcy as a horrible feeling of despair and fear settled over me. How dare he equate me to the one person who he despised most! I hadn't felt that hopeless in a long time, and the feeling was crippling. I felt very alone and small lying there with the warm body of my trusted friend. Sadly, it reminded me of the one body I_ really _wanted to be lying next to me, comforting me. A new wave of tears came, bearing my sadness like little ships on the sea of my emotions.

After the tears had dried I was left with a pounding headache and a fractured heart. I didn't even have the strength to get up and take a couple Tylenol. I lay there, just thinking. My thoughts were disjointed and they jumped all over the place. Eventually, I started to question myself and my reasons for needing NYC.

Was I being stupid? No, I knew I wasn't stupid. I'd been many things in my life, but I'd always been considered rational. Almost to a fault. Selfish? Maybe I was being a little selfish, but after years of doing what I thought everyone else wanted me to do I thought I just might be entitled to a bit of self-indulgence. Was it possible I was a dark-haired version of the nastiest person to ever walk the planet? _Hell no_. I wasn't even going down that path of self-pity. Jessica and I were nothing alike. She was a cold-hearted bitch who had abandoned her husband and newborn son to run off with another man. I simply wanted the opportunity to try one last time to see if I could be the musician I had once dared dream to be. It's not like I was considering something immoral or illegal. The real question was: was I throwing away the best thing that had ever happened to me in order to pursue those dreams? My mind went back to the same issue; I didn't see why I had to choose. I loved them and I loved the music. If my heart was big enough to love them all, then why couldn't this work? Sleep finally came, but it was not restful nor was I any closer to a resolution. I slept knowing that everything would still be waiting when I woke up. I just hoped and prayed that the next conversation Edward and I had wouldn't end in a stalemate.

**~oOo~**

We met for coffee at his request. I went to his condo so we could try once more to talk and try to come to some kind of adult understanding. He started right in after we'd settled down on the comfy couches on his porch. I looked out over the ocean and watched the turbulent waves as an offshore storm shoved them against the beach. I kinda knew how they felt.

"I just don't get it. What are you running from, Bella? You have a man who loves you, whose family loves you, a little boy who thinks you hung the moon, an amazing job, a beautiful home, but that's not enough for you, is it? What more could you want? Fame? Recognition? Help me understand, Bella!" My eyes shot to his. He was overcome with emotion; his whole body shook from the force of it all.

"If you can think that about me, Edward Cullen, then you never knew me." My voice was much calmer than I felt.

"Just make me see things the way you do, B! I'm begging you!"

"I can't, Edward! Not if you don't _want _to see them! I could talk and explain it until the cows come home, but you will never understand if you don't at least try to see this as something beyond my 'leaving you'. I don't_ want_ to leave you! I don't _want _us to be over! It's YOU who is pulling the plug on us. You're the one that said if I went to New York that we'd be through. I'm trying to respect your wishes and still do what I know I have to. That doesn't mean that I'm happy with the outcome. You'd think that would be a sure indicator to you that I'm in this for more than fifteen minutes in a spotlight or a paycheck. But no. You're blind to everything except what you perceive as my leaving you and Masen."

"So what _do _you want, Bella? Tell me." His voice was anything but kind. The venom I heard there stung like acid on my skin.

"I want the three of us to be together. I want to go to New York and see what opportunity that place holds for me. I want you to take me in your arms and tell me that, even though we're both scared, that we'll be okay. That we are going to get through this and one day tell our grandchildren about this day and how silly we both were." He just stared at me like I was speaking another language; not moving or reaching for me like he'd usually would. "But that's not going to happen, is it?" He shook his head no. He couldn't even say the words. So I said them for him and each word pierced my heart like a sword. "So? We're really just going to walk away from each other and that's that?"

He sat there staring into his coffee mug like it held the secrets of the universe.

"Okay, then. I accept your decision, Edward. It's killing me, but I guess I don't have any other choice."

"That's just it, Bella! You _do _have a choice! You can choose to stay here and live the wonderful life you have here rather than chase some dream!"

"No, I can't, Edward, and sitting here having this conversation with you makes it even more clear."

The silence between us was more than I could take. I stood up with my mug. He looked up at me, his face was hard and I hardly recognized him.

"I have to go. Darcy will be waiting for me." Halfway through the condo I turned back to tell him that I loved him, but he wasn't looking at me any more. He had made his choice and I'd made mine. The saddest part of it all was we really wanted the same thing- each other. We just wanted to take different paths to get there.

**~oOo~**

The rest of my week was spent making phone calls and arrangements. The end of the school year was just three weeks away and I was due to be in New York by the last week of June. My first performance was set for the July Fourth weekend. That gave me a little over a week after school wrapped up to be settled in my new temporary home. The symphony had arranged for me to stay for the summer in an apartment they owned near Lincoln Center. Renee was eager to help me pack up the few things I'd be taking along with me and anything else I might need would be shipped soon after I arrived. I'd spoken with my principal and she was genuinely excited for all this opportunity held, although disappointed to see me leave. She assured me that, should I want to return in the fall that my position would be open. They'd be appointing an interim director of the music program at the school.

Darcy and Chaucer were coming with me. I had considered leaving them with Renee and Phil, but there was no way I could be without my boys for that long. It made me nervous to think about them traveling, but my parents reminded me that airlines transported animals all the time. I looked forward to Saturdays in Central Park with Mr. D, and watching Chaucer as he observed traffic roll under the windowsill he would love sunning himself on. Even with all the heartache surrounding my leaving, I was genuinely excited about the new adventure I was embarking on.

I'd received mixed reactions to the announcement that I was moving. For the most part the Cullens were supportive. Alice was insistent on visiting me in the city and Esme decided it would make for a fun girls' weekend to all come up and watch me perform and spend a few days together. Emmett cornered me after I told the family, and true to his pain in the ass nature, had to give me a hard time. "Are you sure about this, Bellapepper? This is huge."

"Yeah, Em, I'm sure, and I thought we agreed that you'd stop with the retarded nicknames and I was going to stop telling complete strangers that you'd suffered a head injury."

"Shut it, you love my nicknames." The smirk on his smirky face was almost as annoying as the crushing weight of the arm he wrapped around my shoulders.

"No, I really don't," I countered, wresting out of his hold. "They're stupid and they don't make any sense."

"Fine. No more nick names. Now talk to me. Why are you jumping ship?" His suddenly serious demeanor took me aback.

"I'm not, I'm just doing what I think is best, Em."

"Okay, then help me to see it that way, too, so I can have your back."

"I don't _want_ to leave all of this. This life I live is damn near perfect, but I've got to see if I can do the one thing I've always dreamed of doing."

"Alright," He nodded his head thoughtfully, "That's not so hard to understand. Go then. But so help me, if you get to New York and turn into some sarcastic, snooty, foul mouthed bitch I will never speak to you again."

"Too late. I'm already sarcastic and snooty; not to mention I'm been known to drop an F-bomb or two."

"You make a valid point. Just promise to keep in touch; I've gotten used to the annoying way you laugh and I'm really gonna miss that fish thing you do with your lips."

"Aw, Em! You say the sweetest things to me. You're like the Gail to my Oprah."

"Hold it, sister! If anyone in this duo is Oprah, it is me! I'm way more popular and shit!"

"Just keep telling yourself that, my friend, and maybe you'll start believing it," I shoved him as hard as I could but the mountain didn't move. Where was Mohamed when you needed him? "Seriously, though, Em, promise me you'll keep an eye on Edward. This is going to really suck. I'm worried he's gonna shut down after I leave, and that scares me."

"He'll be fine. What's the worst thing that could happen? So he might go all emo and broody and start snapping at people. Wait, how would that be any different than how he is now?" I shot him a look that clearly said, "Don't go there."

"Just keep the Ice Queen away from him and Mini, okay? That's your job."

"Give me the dirty jobs, why don't you? I'm not sure why you hate her so much, Bella." The next look I gave him could have been considered deadly. He chuckled, "I mean, everyone loves her! She's even rated 'E- For everyone'. You know, 'cause she's a skank?" I couldn't help but laugh at a skanky Jessica joke. They were like little nuggets of gold.

"Thanks, man. You know I love you, right? And that I'll miss you."

"No you won't, silly Bella! We'll always have Skype."

"And texting," I reminded him.

"And gchat," he countered.

"Okay, okay," I conceded, throwing my hands up in surrender. "I think we both just vowed to keep in touch."

"More like constant contact."

"Deal." We sealed our deal with one of his trademark bear hugs. I was going to miss those most of all.

Rose was a little shocked that I'd even think about leaving Edward and Masen, and things were kind of tense between us for a few days while she wrestled over whether she should have been supporting her brother-in-law who was hurting or her friend who was finally living her dream. Eventually she came to me and with a tight hug assured me that she just wanted what was best for me and that everything would turn out all right in the end.

After Edward, the hardest person to tell was Masen. That boy surprised me, yet again. Silent tears rolled down his cheeks as I explained to him that I had been offered the opportunity to play with the Philharmonic over the summer. I held him and assured him that I loved him, and that I'd be back. He worried what would happen to Darcy and "the cat". It was clear from early on that Mini was a dog person. He didn't mind Chaucer, but he adored the mutt. He gave me a watery grin when he told me he thought Darcy would love spending time in the park. He was also concerned about my safety in the city; warning me about muggers and pickpockets. Oh, and the mob. He was very concerned that I could get caught up in some Mafia war. (Despite my insistence that most of the mobsters lived across the river in Jersey.) I promised him I would be careful and that I would get mace before I moved. I made him promise that he'd practice every day and I assured him that I'd suggest a few people to be his new tutor.

The rest of his class took the news pretty much as I had expected they would. They knew there was the possibility that I might not be returning at the end of the summer. Some were more upset than others, but I knew they would be all right. We would all be all right. I had to believe that. Otherwise, all of this would have been for nothing.

**~oOo~**

The last day of school came quickly. Quicker than I'd imagined. Everything was set for my move and all I had left to do was to tell my favorite little man goodbye. I sat down on the piano bench in our classroom and patted the seat next to me. He joined me like he had so many times before. We knew this day was coming, but now that it was here, it was harder than I'd imagined. His beautiful eyes never left mine, pleading with me to tell him it was all a mistake, a cruel joke. God, I wish it were that simple. I covered his little hands clasped tightly together in his lap with my own.

"Hey, buddy. How ya doin'?"

"I'm okay, I guess." His eyes shifted to look at his feet that swung back and forth. I noticed how he could now easily reach the floor with his toes. At the beginning of the year they were a good inch from the floor. He had grown so much this past year both physically and emotionally, not to mention that his musical talent had grown exponentially. I was so proud of the little musician he was becoming. "I just don't understand, B. _Why_ do you have to go?"

"Have you ever had something that you just had to do, Mini?"

"You mean, like last week when we were at the shop and I_ really _had to pee, but Em locked me out and then tickled me until I thought I was going to wet my pants?" I couldn't help but snicker.

"Um, not exactly like that, smarty pants. This is more of a feeling than an urge." I elbowed him teasingly. "Kind of like, if I don't do this then I'll spend my whole life wondering if I should have tried it while I had the chance."

"But you're coming back, right? You'll be back in time for the new school year?"

"I don't know, little man. Maybe. There is the chance that they'll invite me to stay on longer, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. As things stand now, I'll be with the Symphony through the summer."

"I'm going to miss you so much, B."

"I know, kiddo. I'm going to miss you, too. You know it's not _you_ that I'm leaving, right? My heart hurts thinking about being away from you, but I also know this is the right thing to do. Can you trust me?"

"I do trust you."

"Thank you, Masen." I pulled him close, reveling in the feel of his little body pressed close to mine. I felt like I could protect him from anything when he was this close to me.

_How was I going to leave him? How could I walk away from this? _

I had no idea how I'd survive leaving Masen and his father, but I knew I had to. I just hoped they'd forgive me for hurting them. One day.

I fingered the note I had worked on for hours, trying to write just the right words to the man I loved. We hadn't spoken since our last big blowout, but I had to reach out to him one last time. I decided a letter was the best option, that way I could say what I needed to and avoid another painful argument. How could I make him understand why I was about to tear all three of our hearts from our chests? How could I tell him that, while I loved him more than life itself, I was still leaving? I did the best I could, knowing that no matter how long I worked it or how long the letter was, he'd never understand. Hell, I still didn't fully understand. I just knew that I had to do this. With a shaky hand I handed the letter to Masen.

"Hey, M? Would you do me one last favor?"

"B, you know I'd do anything for you."

"I do, sweetie. Um, could you give this to your dad for me? It has some recommendations for a new piano tutor for you and it might explain a few things to him, but... will you wait to give it to him until I'm gone?" He looked confused, but nodded.

"Sure, Bella, I'll make sure Dad gets this, but why wait?" Damn, this kid was too smart for my own good.

_Because if he gets it before then he could find me and talk me out of going, that's why._

"Well, Mase, I just need some time, okay?"

"He'll get it, B. I promise." My heart broke as I pulled his head to my chest and hugged him fiercely. Even as I fought to contain them, tears spilled from my eyes. This could be the last time I would hug this man-child who I had grown to love as a mother loves her child. I may have never been his mother, but my heart didn't know that, and right now it was shattering into a million pieces knowing I was walking away from him. His slim arms wrapped around my waist as we turned into each other's embrace.

"I love you, sweet boy. Never forget that, okay? I have loved you from the first day I met you and I always will. Maybe when this summer is over I'll come see you?"

"Would you?"

"Yeah, of course! And you can always email or call if you need your old piano teacher for anything. Not that you would."

"B, you were never just a piano teacher. You have been more of a mom to me than Jess ever was. I love you." It took everything in me to not breakdown completely right there. But Masen was just a kid. I could be strong for his sake and lose it later- when I was alone. I sucked in a ragged breath, trying to steady my voice enough to speak.

"I've loved being a part of your life Masen, and I promise you, even though I may not be where you can reach out and touch me, I will always be here for you. You can contact me anytime. _Anytime._ I'd love to hear how things are going back here. I love you, little man. That doesn't change because I'm moving." I could feel his small frame shaking as he cried against my shoulder, and I squeezed him a little tighter. I pressed a kiss into his unruly locks, and then another. With a deep, centering breath I held him back from me and tousled the hair I had just kissed.

"Okay, wanna play one for the road? Gentleman's choice." I grinned with joy my heart didn't feel and hoped he'd take me up on my offer, but I never imagined he'd choose _that_ song.

"Yeah, will you sing 'Reese's Song' while I play?" I couldn't deny him. Not when he looked at me with those sad, red-rimmed eyes.

"Sure, sweetie. We can try." We turned to face the keys and his hands went straight to Middle C. Perfectly trained. He started the lullaby softly, and I prayed I could make it through the song without breaking down.

_Your baby blues_

_So full of wonder_

_Your Curly Que's_

_Your contagious smile_

_And as I watch _

_You start to grow up_

_All I can do is hold you tight_

For once, it was his blue eyes I saw as I sang, not Reese's. His bronzed curls replaced her dirty blonde, and his toothy grin eclipsed the gaping smile of my beloved sister. I scooted closer to him, and wrapped my arm around his waist and rested my cheek against the soft tangle at his crown. I needed to be close to him as I sang this promise to him. He needed to hear the truth in the words, and I needed him to believe them. I promised him in song that, even though I might not be there physically, he would always be in my heart.

_Clouds will rage in_

_Storms will race in_

_But you will be safe in my arms_

_Rains will pour down _

_Waves will crash all around_

_But you will be safe in my arms_

My "mother's heart" broke knowing that I would never be able to keep him safe from the world and its realities. He had suffered from so many of them already, and here I was putting him through another harsh reality of this world: people we love, leave- and life is never fair. It killed me that I was the reason he was once again faced with this reality. Maybe I wasn't cut out to be a mom. At least when Jess had left he was too young to feel the hurt and rejection. I couldn't help but feel guilty that I was putting him through the one thing Edward had fought all his life to protect him from. My unshed tears welled up over my lashes and spilled into his hair. I sang the last lines with every ounce of feeling I had. My voice cracked and wavered from the emotion.

_Castles they might crumble_

_Dreams may not come true_

_Cause you are never all alone_

_Cause I will always_

_Always love you_

_Clouds will rage in_

_Storms will race in_

_But you will be safe in my arms_

_Rains will pour down _

_Waves will crash all around_

_But you will be safe in my arms_

_In my arms" _

Even before the last notes could fade, he had turned to me and thrown himself against me- sobs wracking his little frame. I held him and cried with him. Cried for both of us and the loss of what we had, what we would never have. I didn't try to comfort or shush him. I just let him cry. I continued to whisper over and over, "I will always love you" until he had no tears left to shed. When I pulled back to look at him he gave me a sad half-grin that reminded me so much of his father.

"I'll always love you, too... Mom."

After another long, painful hug I walked him to the bathroom to let him wash his face, then we headed to the car. I'd told Edward that I would bring him home after school. We drove the few minutes to his condo in silence. I pulled up to the front of his building to let him out. "I'll see ya in four months then, right?" He sounded so hopeful.

"Yeah, buddy, four months. And you can call, text, or email whenever you want, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks. Have fun playing in those fancy theaters!"

"I'll try, Mase." I gave him a weak smile. We shared an awkward car hug, and I told him again that I loved him. He returned the sentiment. My heart broke as I watched him climb the stoop to his condo. He stopped to turn and wave one last time, the letter I'd given him to give to Edward in his hand. I pulled away once he was safely inside, the tears already threatening to make my short trip home dangerous. I fought to keep it together and hoped Masen remembered to give Edward the letter. I considered sending him a text Sunday to remind him. Both about the letter and that I loved him. Always.

As I drove, I recalled the words I had written to the man I loved and would most likely never see again...

_Dearest Edward,_

_This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but then again, that which is best for us isn't always the easiest. There's no easy way to say or do this, because no matter what, this is going to be horrible. You may hate me for this, and I may very well be taking the coward's way out, but, Edward, I've decided to take the position with the Philharmonic. I know I should have talked to you about my final decision more, given you a proper goodbye, but my mind is made up... For once in my life I'm making a decision that I think is best for _me_, and following through with it. Talking to you again will only confuse and upset me, and frankly, I can't take much more drama. I couldn't just up and go, not with the way we left things. So, I'm writing you to tell you what I can't say directly to you. Please try to understand. _

_I love you so much. I love you to the point of distraction, Edward. I've learned that I have to learn to love myself that same way. You asked me what I was running from. I don't see it that way. Maybe I'm not running from something. Maybe I'm running _**to**_ it. My entire life has been lived the way I thought I was expected to live; either to fulfill the dreams that Reese will never realize or to please someone else. I know you don't agree with my decision, and I partly understand why, but please accept why I can't let this opportunity pass me by. If for no other reason than to say that I tried to live life to the fullest. For once I need to do something because it's what is best for me. No one else but me, and if that makes me a selfish bitch then it proves that I was never good enough for you and Masen. You both deserve only the best. _

_I have never let another person into my heart like I have let you. I was so messed up, and you saw past that. Your love healed me. I know who I am now because of you. I need you to know that no one could have loved me more or better. You taught me how to love and live again. You have given me my life back and now I need to live it. _

_Please don't come after me; don't try to change my mind. By the time you read this I will be leaving for New York. I've already said my goodbyes to Masen and everyone else. Forgive me for leaving like this; I just couldn't tell you good-bye, Edward. I understand if you'd prefer that I didn't keep in touch, but I've told Masen he can contact me anytime he needs me. _

_This road we have been following had to come to an end at some point. All roads do, love. I never imagined it would end here, but then again, I never imagined this ride we've been on, either. It has been a wonderful journey, but now we have to take our separate paths. I once read a quote written by Flavia Weedn that said, "Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never ever the same." Thank you for leaving your footprints on my heart, Edward, and for changing me. I will always love you. Never doubt that. _

_~Bella_

**~oOo~**

My phone chimed as I stood over the stove making dinner. I glanced down to see a message from Edward.

_**Bella, I found the letter in Masen's bag. I need to see you- NOW!**_

My lungs constricted and a sigh fell from my lips. The one thing I'd hoped to avoid, a dramatic goodbye, was apparently imminent. I knew he wouldn't take no for an answer. I was still going to try to get out of seeing him.

_**I can't, Edward. I'm in the middle of cooking dinner.**_

I sent the text hoping he'd let it go. He didn't.

_**Fuck dinner! This is more important!**_

Like I'd said, imminent. So I went the next best plan: meet him in a public, neutral place that wasn't too far from either of us. I decided the public beach access a few miles up the road was easiest.

_**Fine. Meet me at the parking lot at the walk-over. **_

**~oOo~**

He stood leaning against the side of his car door. He looked as miserable as I felt. He didn't bother to look up when I pulled up next to him; just waited for me to climb off the bike and stand in front of him. We stood there, face to face for a while. Neither of us eager for what we both knew was coming. Finally he spoke first, "Why are you doing this? How can you do this?"

"I already explained everything in the letter. That's why I wrote it, Edward, so we wouldn't have to do this."

"I deserve better than a fucking 'Dear John' letter, Bella. _We_ deserve more." I assumed he'd meant he and Masen when he said "we".

"I talked to Masen today when I gave him the letter. We've already said our goodbyes." I hoped the explanation would give him the piece of mind that I had done my best to do right by Mini and tell him a proper goodbye.

"He told me... you didn't think that you and I deserved the same chance?"

His question threw me for a loop. Of course I did, I just didn't think that seeing me again was something he'd have wanted. I sighed and rested against the seat of my bike. My stance mirrored his own.

"Honestly, Edward, I didn't think you'd want to see me again."

"What? How could you say that?"

My head snapped up and I stared at him in disbelief. "You've made it very clear how you feel about my going to New York and us being over. I just assumed you wouldn't want to see me again."

"Bella! I love you, of course I'd want to tell you goodbye! What I really want is for you to come to your senses and not go!"

"If you loved me then you'd trust that I know what I have to do, Edward. I can't take you trying to talk me out of this anymore. The plans have all been made; I've made commitments. This is happening whether you want it to or not. I'm sorry."

"I guess that's that, then! Everything's settled. You've got it _all_ figured out. Well, all that's left then is for me to wish you good luck and tell you have a nice life, Bella." The sarcastic tone of his voice was harsh and nothing like the Edward I knew, but I knew he was hurting. This was exactly what I had been trying to avoid by writing him rather than seeing him. I didn't want our last memories of us together to be about who could hurt the other most.

"I'm not doing this, Edward. I won't fight with you. I know you're hurting and angry, but this isn't us. Just tell me goodbye and let's move on before we have the chance to say something we will definitely regret."

He just stood there, seething. Knowing I was going to have to be the one to make the first move, I pushed off my bike and took the three steps over to him, standing mere inches away. Reaching up on my toes, I pressed my lips to his jaw. He stiffened at my touch. It broke my heart and I leaned into him seeking the kind of comfort I could only find in his arms. After a few moments he relaxed and drew me closer to him. I hadn't wanted to cry, but treacherous tears flowed freely down my cheeks, soaking his shirt. We stood like that for what seemed like forever and yet not nearly long enough. All too soon I felt him kiss the top of my head.

"I love you, Bella. I wish I could have been enough, and hope you find what you need." With a final squeeze he let me go, "Goodbye. Be safe."

I nodded, assuring him that I would, "Bye, Edward. I love you."

**~oOo~**

It nearly killed me to get on the bike and pull away, but I had to. My chest grew tighter and tighter as my bike got further and further from where I had left him standing there, staring after me. I had tried to make Edward comprehend that I had to try this; I had to follow this overwhelming pull to do the one thing I never thought I could. So I was giving up the one thing that ever brought me peace and security. It was crazy and it was scary as hell. It was unfathomable, but it was my only option. Edward had made it my only option. It destroyed me that I was finally doing what I believed in my heart to be what I was meant to do all along, and the one person I wanted to share it with was unwilling to make the journey with me. But I could accept his reasons. For too long, my entire life to be exact, I'd lived my life for the ones I loved; done what was expected of me and what was safest. It was time to do something hard. Something for me.

I was leaving to follow my dreams, to see if I could really make it at the one thing I loved doing. Music. I couldn't be the person everyone else needed me to be. As I sped away on my bike, I could see Edward's form in my side view mirrors growing smaller and smaller. At some point I saw his tiny reflection slump against the side of his car and slide down the door. My chest constricted tighter as I watched the man I love crumble in the sand lot. Every fiber in my being cried out to go back to him, to hold him and tell him it was all a huge mistake. Each breath I took became more labored, more difficult to draw in. I felt as if a massive weight were crushing my chest, cracking my ribs and compressing my lungs so they had no hope of drawing another breath. I wasn't far from home, only a mile or so, and as I pulled into the garage I paused long enough to punch the button to lower the door again. I found my way into the house, panting and sucking at the air around me.

What had I done? He was my life. He was my air. No wonder I couldn't breathe, I had just created a self-imposed vacuum; devoid of all air. I stumbled up the stairs, actually falling and not even noticing the pain that should have shot through my legs as my shins slammed against the hard wood of the top steps. I didn't bother to try to stand. I just lay there on the landing, letting the waves of emotions from the day crash over me. Dry sobs wracked my body, each futile breath felt like my last. I have no idea how long I lay there. The first thing I noticed was the cold, moist nose of my beloved Mr. Darcy, sweetly nudging me, desperate to comfort me. I rolled to my side my ribs felt bruised and battered with each sharp intake of breath. My devoted friend didn't ask any questions; he simply laid next to me on the hard floor, joining me in my sorrow. He comforted me the only way he knew how to: he let me mourn, let me feel all I was feeling, and just let me know that he was there. The darkness of the suffering and the reality of what had happened enveloped me again and the sobs shook us both as I clutched him tightly.

The next time I surfaced from the blackness, the sky had darkened to match my mood. It seemed as if the sun had even sunk under the weight of my sadness. Every muscle in my body ached, and my head pounded from the tears and lack of oxygen. I still could not get a deep breath; I wondered if I ever would again. Mr. D lifted his head as I rolled over, moaning as my muscles cramped in protest. Just as I made a move to sit up a wave of nausea hit me, and I rushed as quickly I could to make it to the toilet before vomiting what little breakfast I had managed to choke down earlier that day. I rinsed my mouth at the sink and noticed my ever-faithful friend sitting at my feet. His massive head, resting on the counter, never moved as his gaze shifted from me to my reflection in the mirror. I realized that he hadn't been outside most of the day. Just one more failure to add to a day of massive fail. My voice was horse and scratchy when I spoke, "Come on buddy. Let's get you walked and fed, so I can end this day."

I wasn't sure why I was so eager for the day to be over. The next day wouldn't be any easier. Nor would the one after that. It would just be varying degrees of pain and loss. I let Darcy take his time outside as I fixed his dinner, leaving the door open so he could come in when he was ready. I heard a faint humming as I set his bowl down and it registered that it was my cell buzzing somewhere. I couldn't recall where I'd dropped it when I came in, hell, I didn't even recall physically setting it down. I tried to find in before it stopped buzzing. Not that I intended to answer it, but the vibrations would help make locating it a little easier. I found it under the little table I kept by the stairs. It must have slid off either from my flinging it down with my keys or- wow. The screen read:

_**27 missed calls**_

_Twenty-seven? What the hell?_ The time flashed _8:30 PM_ as I accessed my missed calls screen.

_**Edward Cullen (15 missed calls)**_

_**Alice Cullen (10 missed calls)**_

_**Mom (2 missed calls)**_

I'd been home for nearly four hours. I'd lain there at the top of the stairs drifting in and out of consciousness for _hours_. I was numb. I looked at the voice mail screen next. Yep, just what I'd thought, there were just as many voice mails. The phone buzzed once in my hand and the memo popped up:

_**Edward Cullen (new message)**_

He'd left another one. I couldn't listen to them. Not yet. I couldn't hear his voice. I wasn't strong enough. As soon as I heard him I'd be dialing his number to beg for him to come to me. Although I didn't deserve for him to. I decided to text him and let him know I was safe when the phone buzzed again; this time a text:

_**Bella, please! R u at least safe at home? I'm going crazy with worry! I drove past ur house 4 times just to check on u & there haven't been any lights on. Please just give me the piece of mind that u're alright. Please! I love u. Always. ~E **_

I thought for a second about what my response should be.

_**I'm home. Came straight here. I'm sorry you were worried. I'm just-sorry. For everything... I know you do. ~B**_

Darcy walked in the kitchen then. He shuffled over to his bowl and sniffed at the dry food there, opting not to eat. I knew how he felt. I didn't have any appetite either. I didn't bother to turn on any lights as I shut and bolted the door. I punched in the security code in the panel and slowly made my way up the stairs. I felt Darcy follow behind me. I toed off my shoes as I stood next to the edge of the bed, slipped off my shorts and crawled onto the bed, not even bothering to crawl under the covers. I did reach over to press the button on the remote to make the shades roll down over the windows and doors, shutting out the world. I felt the bed shift as the mutt crawled up next to me. We nestled in close as the darkness around me enveloped my mood once again. The phone I clutched under my pillow sounded and I looked at the screen:

_**Thank, God! I was so worried! As long as u're safe. That's all that matters. I'll call again tomorrow, but u can call me anytime. I need u. We need u. I love u. ~E **_

I let the despair overtake me then. The tightness in my chest a vice grip on my fragile lungs. Sobbing, I chanted over and over, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

**~oOo~**

**A/N: **So, this story is still in play. The outline says five more chapters and an outtake or two.

Wondering what the all-knowing outline says is next? Well, if I told you that then I'd have to kill ya, and I don't like cold, wet things. I'm like Bella in that way. Thank you for reading. **~Liz**


	23. Heartbreak & Healing

**A/N: **The response to that last chapter has been my favorite so far! You gals are so passionate and opinionated about these two kids! I love that you feel so connected to these imaginary people! Here's the next chapter in their story, but first, some things that need clarifying:

-Bella is NOT preggers.

-She never asked Edward to leave Florida and go with her, only to support her and try to have a long distance relationship. It happens all the time, and is VERY possible in this time of modern technology. Just ask any military wife how she handles the deployment of her hubby or any couple that have met via an Internet dating site. People who love each other make things work, no matter the distance.

-I'd also like to remind all of you that Life is messy and about making mistakes. Art imitates life. (Not that this fic is a work of art, by any means, but you get my point.) Just trust me and enjoy the ride. I will do my best to resolve this ASAP and as realistically as possible. Meanwhile, keep the honest reviews coming! Your words spur me on to write so I can see your reactions to what happens next! XOXOXO

**Barbi and Liz's Road Trip Play list**: "Snowblind"- Rob Thomas, "Don't Leave Just Yet"- Needtobreathe, "The End"- Kings of Leon, "Everything We Had'- The Academy Is..., "Where'd You Go"- Fort Minor, "This Too Shall Pass" & "Somewhere In The Darkness"- The District, "Dreaming With A Broken Heart"- John Mayer, "What Hurts The Most"- Rascal Flats, "Give You Up"- Ron Pope, "Talking To The Moon"- Bruno Mars

Thanks to the usual wonderful women who support and encourage me: **TwiightMundi** and **CoachLady1 **beta'ed the heck out of this chapter. **Barburella **and **FanGirl75 **pre-read as did the super special **Inkedupmom**. Thank you, lassies, for putting up with me.

All the characters belong to SM. I own nothing. Well, that's not true. I bought an iPad since we spoke last. I wrote most of this chapter on her. So _this _is what love is.

And now, let's get back on the road. Your Ride awaits...

**~oOo~**

**Chapter 22- Heartbreak & Healing**

**EPOV**

**~oOo~**

Silk. I loved how my hands would glide over Bella's skin like yards and yards of silk. The gasp that followed that initial touch always went straight to my cock, making me hard and naturally craving more of her. The feel of her flesh as it gave under the pressure of my fingertips when I kneaded at her subtle curves. I especially loved the contrast of comparing how she felt when she was clothed to when she was bare. There was nothing more wonderful than the feel of her smooth skin after having run my hands up and down the length of her, feeling all of her through her clothes. I loved to watch as the tiny, telltale bumps of arousal bloomed across her skin, spurring me on. My mouth would water as I bent to taste her. I knew every inch of her body; I'd explored, worshiped her multiple times. She would reward my efforts with whimpers and pleas for more. The sounds she'd make as I caressed and rubbed drove me insane, and many times throughout my day I'd catch myself staring off into space reliving the previous night's adventures and the many ways she would cry out to me, begging me to bring her to release. It was maddening and distracting. One should not be distracted when wielding a blowtorch.

"Earth to Edward! Watch where the fuck you point that thing, dammit! You wanna burn the place down?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Rosie. I guess I have a lot on my mind these days," I apologized for nearly singeing the hair off Rose's pretty little head.

"Yeah, well, get your shit together and stop living in la-la land."

"Right, Ro. Sorry. Again." She just huffed and went back to what she was doing after she moved a safe distance from me and the blowtorch.

That scene had become the norm around the shop. The weeks after Bella left were a blur. I spent most of my time in a haze, barely functioning and moving forward, only really surfacing when Masen needed something. _Then_ I was alert. That little man deserved my full attention. Everything else could go to hell, but I was determined that Masen wouldn't suffer from Bella's leaving.

I still couldn't believe she had gone, even after weeks turned into a month. The chime on the door at the shop would ring and every single fucking time I'd look up, expecting to see her walking through it. I died a little as I realized all over again that it couldn't be her because she was over a thousand miles away. A distance she_ chose _to put between us. Then the anger would take over and I'd have to go pound the hell out of something: a hand-hammered gas tank (we made a lot of those that summer), the punching bag hanging in the back corner of the shop, Emmett, the occasional wall. I preferred Emmett because he hit back, but Rose wasn't too keen on my wearing out her love machine (her term, _not_ mine), so I usually settled for the bag.

It was during one of these "sessions" that I overheard my sisters talking to Emmett, and while that wasn't anything that would normally distract me, one word in particular drew my attention. A name, actually;_ her _name. _Bella. _

"Bella looks great, right? I was amazed by how good she looks," Rose told Emmett. Her voice lowered in hushed tones so someone, namely me, wouldn't overhear their conversation. She needed to try harder; I could hear every word. I stopped beating the shit out of the bag in order to overhear their conversation better.

The girls and my mom had just returned from visiting Bella in New York for a girls' weekend or some equally ridiculously stupid reunion thingy. They all thought they had done a good job of keeping it quiet and not rubbing the trip in my face. They thought wrong. I was depressed, not comatose. How was I _not _supposed to miss the fact that they were both missing from the shop for four days, not to mention that Mini didn't shut up about how unfair it was that his aunts and grandmother got to visit Bella and he didn't. Talk about a weekend from hell. Try spending it with a pissy pre-teen armed with a piano. I was going to have to get the thing tuned after the beating it took.

"What did you expect, Rose? That she'd look like a zombie?" Alice's sarcastic tone was harsh.

"No, of course not," Rose defended herself. "I just didn't think she'd be so happy up there."

"There's no reason for her not to be. Just because Edward can't get his shit together doesn't mean that Bella's the same way. She's doing what she needs to do, and I, for one, think she's brave and strong and fucking amazing for taking her life by the balls and doing something with it." I could almost picture Alice stretching up on her toes to get as close to eye-to-eye with Rose as possible and poking her in the chest as she voiced her opinion.

"Wow, Alice, tell me how you_ really _feel about Bella's leaving," Rose quipped.

"I have, and you still insist on coddling that dufus brother of ours; it's almost like you're encouraging him to brood and hold a grudge against the poor woman for doing what she felt she had to do. How is he ever going to help Mini deal with Bella's leaving if he won't do it himself? That boy needs Edward to remind him of her love, not refuse to discuss her or ignore the fact that she was ever around to begin with!"

"Everyone deals with loss differently, Allie. That's just Edward's way. I'm not coddling him, I'm just trying to support him," Rose countered.

"Bullshit, Rose. Edward's being his usual moody, dick-wad self. He thinks he knows best and if you don't do things his way then you're on his shit list. I'd hoped loving Bella had changed that part of him, but now that she's gone I see that he had just shoved that shining part of his personality down deep. Unfortunately, it will be Edward and Mini who suffer because of it."

"What do you expect him to do? Keep a picture of her on the piano with a fresh vase of flowers? That's fucked up, Alice! The way he sees it, it was BELLA who left, not the other way around, and she didn't look back. He's hurting and needs us to help him work through this!"

"Ladies, ladies," Emmett, the unexpected voice of reason cut in. "How do you solve a problem like Edwina? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? You can't, so why don't you tell me how our prima Bellerina is doing instead..." They blatantly ignored him and his pathetic attempt to quote _The Sound of Music_, continuing talking as if he wasn't even there.

"Rose, she went away for the _summer_ to follow her dream of doing something extraordinary with her life- not forever. You saw her, heard her play! She's been given a gift, and it would be a waste for her not to pursue this aspect of her life. It was selfish of Edward to ask her not to. How can you come home and side with Mister Broody Britches when you witnessed firsthand how amazing she is?"

"I'm not siding with anyone, Allie! I'm just saying I can see Edward's side of things. That's all."

"Well, don't. He doesn't need any encouragement to act like an ass. He does a perfectly good job of that on his own. Oh, and Em? No more _Sound of Music_ for you! You are cut off!"

I went back to my bag then and tuned out their conversation. Besides, I'd heard enough. Bella was flourishing; she'd moved on and didn't need us. And that just made me more pathetic for being here and pining away for someone who clearly didn't feel the same way I did. I pounded until my arms felt like they'd fall off, then I packed up and went home to my son.

**~oOo~**

When I got home, Masen was out on the water, skim boarding in the shallows. The kid was a natural on the water. I should have named him Turtle or some other burnt-out hippie name. It didn't matter if the surf was good; as long as there was water to be found at the edge of all that sand, that kid would be in it or on it someway, somehow. I looked back at the condos behind me and waved to his ever-watchful Aunt Alice who kept an eye on him from her balcony. She waved back and went back to the book in her hand.

I walked out to where the beach transitioned from crushed shells to more powdery sand and sat down to watch him. The heat of the day quickly warmed me and I reached behind me to peel the Eclipse Choppers polo over my head. A quick swipe across my face dried the sweat that threatened to drip into my eyes. Content to watch the boy in the surf, I settled in to enjoy watching my whole world skid back and forth on a thin plane of water. The irony of the moment wasn't lost on me. I felt like this was a metaphor for my life. Maybe I was reading into things too much, but I was sure there was something I could learn from watching this kid on the water. Hell, I was always learning things from Mini. My dark sense of humor wondered if maybe, between the two of us, he did more of the teaching in our relationship.

I learned a lot about my son that day as I watched him on that board. The first was that he was strong. Over the last year, he'd gotten so tall and lean, his muscles stretching out and bulking up. The baby fat that had padded his frame had burned off, leaving him with the outline of an athlete's build.

I noticed he was quick, agile, and able to handle the situation if something crossed into his path- swerving to avoid a runner who wasn't paying attention or a child playing in the surf. He looked up and noticed that I was watching him. He frantically waved both arms over his head like I was miles rather than yards away from him. I acknowledged that I saw him, and gestured for him to continue his sport.

"Hey, Dad! Watch this one" he called out. I gave him the thumbs up and waited for him to perform whatever trick he'd been working on that day. Grabbing the lip of his board, he retreated from the water and stood waiting for a clean set of waves to wash ashore. When he saw an opening, he lined up, dug in and took off running. He threw the board down in the shallow surf and jumped on it, skidding along the thin skin of water. The muscles of his back and legs flexed and clinched, maneuvering the board to spin and fishtail before riding it to dry land. A huge smile was on his face when he turned around and headed back toward where I sat.

I realized something else as I watched my son jog over: he was lonely. Now that school was out, he didn't see his buddies as often as he usually did, and if he wasn't at the shop then he was here or at my parents' house. One thing I knew from growing up was that a boy needs other boys around; it's how they test what kind of man they're becoming. My son didn't have that and I saw that he was lonely.

Masen bounded up the beach, kicking sand everywhere. "Did you see that? Huh, Dad? I worked on that fishtail combo all day! The waves have been crap, but these are perfect for some skim board practice! You should go up and get your shorts and board and join me." He nudged me with his shoulder and I wrapped my arm around him. Drawing him to me, I breathed in the smell of boy and summer: salt, sand, brine, and a hint of sweat tainted the air around him.

"Ew, you stink like BO, kid!" I shoved him gently, "You need to go rinse that stank off before someone calls beach patrol to report a dead turtle on the beach!"

"Shut up, Dad! I do NOT stink!"

"You do too!" I lifted his arm and sniffed his armpit then feigned passing out. Masen kicked my foot in retaliation.

"You're such a douche nozzle! I don't stink! Get up and go get changed! The tide's coming in and I want to surf with my old man." His choice of name for me took me aback.

"What did you just call me?"

"Uh, an old man?"

"No, the other one," I clarified, though that was bad enough.

"You mean douche nozzle?"

"Masen, do you know what that is?" I had a feeling I knew the answer, but I had to ask.

"No."

"Let me guess..." We said "Uncle Em" at the same time. "Mini, you know better than to repeat what you hear him say. I can't control what comes out of his mouth, but I _can _control what comes out of yours."

"I had no idea it was something _really_ bad, Dad! I thought it was a made up word, like dufus." Now I was faced with the dilemma of whether or not to explain to him what a douche nozzle was or just tell him it wasn't something acceptable to be calling someone.

_Bella would have known how to handle this one. _Whoa. Where did that thought come from? I hadn't thought of her like that in a month. I'd actually tried to block her from any unconscious thought, but it was true, Bella _would _have known how to deal with the delicate topic. In fact, she wouldn't have batted an eyelash before explaining to Mini that it was a feminine hygiene product. Just thinking about it made me blush. I opted for the lesser of the two explanations. Somewhere deep in the recesses of my mind I could hear Bella's voice teasing me: _"Pussy!" _I chuckled at my thoughts and simply made him promise not to use that term anymore.

We sat there in the sand, mirror images of one another. I was vaguely aware of the grainy scratch of the sand on my skin. Quietly, we watched the gulls dip in and out of the glass-like surface of the ocean. Off in the distance, a pod of dolphins hunted some school of fish together; their fins broke through the water, clearly visible thanks to the lack of waves.

"Dad?" Masen's voice broke the silence.

"Hmm?" I looked over at the kid who was looking less and less like a boy every day and more like the man he would someday be.

"I miss Bella." The quiet honesty in his voice was overwhelming. I scooted closer to my son and pulled him to my side. She'd been gone two months, and this was the first time he'd mentioned her to me. I realized then how selfish I was being. Here I thought I was doing him a favor by not talking about Bella around him, essentially ignoring that she was ever a part of our lives. But all I was doing was protecting the wall I'd built around myself so I wouldn't have to fully face the truth.

_Me, too, little man. Me, too._

**~oOo~**

Things in the shop were a little tense after the girls came back from visiting Bella in NYC. Everyone seemed to be walking on eggshells around me, not saying anything about Bella when I was around. More times than I could count, I had walked into a room only to have whatever conversation was going on abruptly stop as soon as my presence was felt.

"You can talk about her when I'm around, you know," I blurted out as I worked next to Emmett on a bike. I was so over the hushed voices and careful glances. "I'm not a child. I _can_ handle hearing her name or what she's doing."

"If you say so, man. We were just trying to be sensitive. Have _you _heard from our girl lately?"

"No, we've not had any contact since she left," I admitted to my brother.

"Well?"

"Well, what, Emmett? Use your words, please. Big boys speak in whole sentences."

"Shut up, ass! What are you going to do about the lack of contact between you and the love of your life? Is _that_ sentence complete enough for you?" Actually, it was a little too complete.

"Aren't you clever, using your grown up vocabulary? I knew you had it in you, bro."

"Stop deflecting and answer the fucking question, Edward." This isn't the conversation I'd imagined having with my brother when I brought up the whole B-E-L-L-A thing. Yeah, I spelled her name in my head. Maybe I wasn't as okay with everything as I thought I was.

"I don't know, Em. To be honest I didn't really have any plans on contacting her. She left; that's the end of it."

"Oh, grow up, Edward! That's not the end of anything, and you know it! Sure, the woman left. Big deal. Now, get over yourself, grow a pair, and call her, dammit. She went away for the_ summer_, for crying out loud, but she's gonna end up gone for good if you don't get your head out of your ass and let her know that she has something to come back to!" This was news to me. I knew that Bella was supposed to come back at the end of her stint with the Philharmonic, but I'd somehow missed that she could possibly end up staying permanently.

"How often do you guys talk to her?" I was genuinely curious. There was obvious Bella Intel I wasn't privy to. The past few weeks I'd been in a fog, not paying attention to anything except my son and his needs. Thank goodness I had the crew to help pick up the slack or Eclipse Choppers would have gone bankrupt.

"Well, I talk to her at least once a week. Rosie hears from her all the time. They text and tweet each other a fuckton. I think it's the same with Alice. I know Jasper's talked to her a few times, and I'm not even going to talk about Mom and Dad."

"What about Mom and Dad?" I was suddenly worried about what he was going to tell me.

"Mom talks to her all the time, but Dad is just as bad. They get on speaker phone and talk to her about what's been going on here; tell her about Mini and-" he stopped short, his thought incomplete.

"And...?"

"Nothing, just stuff about the family and local stuff. That's all." Somehow, I didn't believe that he was being entirely honest with me. "Look," he huffed, clearly exasperated. "I'm not saying you have to fly up there and profess your undying love for her, just text the woman, ask her how she's been. Let nature take its course, go with the flow, and see where the chips fall."

"Wow, think you could cram another saying in there, big guy?"

"How about I cram my fist down your throat? I'm still bigger than you, little bro, and I will hurt you. Quit reminding us what an ass you can be, and put us all out of _your_ misery."

"And how should I go about doing that?"

"You could start by not ignoring the handful of texts and emails she's sent asking how you and Mini are doing." I was shocked that he knew about those.

"You know about those?"

"Of course I do, Eddie. WE talk to her; you're the ass that refuses to talk to the woman you claim to love."

"I just don't know what to say to her, where to start."

"How about 'Hey. How are you? I'm a fucktard. Forgive me?'"

"Ha. Ha. Very funny."

"Well, it's a start."

"How do I even know she wants to hear from me?"

Apparently, I'd reached the outer limits of my brother's patience, because he roared, "Oh, please! You know she's miserable!" Then almost under his breath he added, "She's just as miserable as you are."

"I thought she was doing _so _well," my voice sounded like it should have belonged to a petulant two year old, rather than a grown man. "If she's so damn happy in the Big City then why would she be interested in what's going on here?" I was being a douche nozzle. Just don't tell my son I said so.

"Bella IS doing wonderfully, Edward, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't care about us. She loves us all, and she loves it _here_. _This _is home to her. I'm just saying that maybe she needs a reason to come home sooner than later."

I put two and two together and made the connection. "I seriously doubt I'm that reason."

"Me too," he teased, "but Mini? Now he's definitely something worth fighting for." I couldn't argue with him; my son was about as amazing as they came. "And me, I'm pretty fucking fantastic. I know she'd move back for me." My brother was a pain in my ass, but I loved him. Mostly.

I shook my head at him, "Yeah, Emmett. I'm sure she'd come running back here just for your ass."

"It is a lovely specimen of man butt."

"You would know, ass pirate." I kicked the back of his knee, forcing his leg to give out and nearly causing him to fall over.

"Hey, prick! That shit's not cool! I could have knocked over the bike!" He gestured to the chopper he was installing a custom painted gas tank on.

"That wouldn't be possible if you bothered to follow safety guidelines and strapped the damn thing to the lift like you're supposed to!"

"Fuck off, Edward. You're the only one who follows 'protocol.' Maybe you should fish that stick out of your ass and text that pretty girl in New York City. You'll thank me after you do."

"You're so sure that she wants to hear from me." The joking fell away and my brother heard the question I was too afraid to ask.

"Yeah, man, I'm positive. You contact her and I promise you won't be sorry." He went back to work on the bike, but not before strapping it down according to safety guidelines.

"I'll think about it," I conceded. And I did. It was all I could think about the rest of the day. Several times I even unlocked my iPhone and opened the text app, determined to reach out to her, but I just couldn't hit "send."

Later that night I stared up at the ceiling, going over what I'd say to her. After composing twenty or so texts, all embarrassingly pathetic, I opted to go the plagiarism route. I omitted the "fucktard" part, though.

_**Hey. How are you?**_

I was shocked when my phone buzzed moments later with a reply.

**~oOo~**

It was late in the afternoon when the bell over the shop door rang. I glanced up to greet whoever it was with a smile that quickly fell when I realized who it was. Jessica. The Wicked Bitch of the West. The Ice Queen, as Bella called her. I mentally reminded myself to be civil and that this was a place of business, not an ultimate fighting ring, regardless of how much I wanted to best her in a death match.

I watched as she moved through the shop front, wrinkling her nose at the merchandise and supplies that were displayed in the space. I waited until she approached the counter and cleared her throat to acknowledge her presence.

"Jessica. What are you doing here? I'm guessing hell has frozen over or the earth's core has been torn asunder, otherwise, why would you be slumming it here with us peons?"

"Don't be like that, Eddie, I just stopped in to say 'Hi' and see how everyone was doing. It's been a while since I saw y'all last." She leaned on the counter and batted her fake lashes of doom at me. If I'd been just ten inches closer to her they would have surely grabbed a hold of me and dragged me back to her evil lair. I seriously feared for my safety and moved back a step.

"What do you want, Jessica? I don't have the energy to play coy with you."

"Fine. You need to man up. It's time we were a family, Edward, a real family." I looked at her like she had three heads. Was she serious with this shit, or had she just lost her mind for real? I wondered if dialing 911 would bring the men in white coats or if there was a separate extension for loonies.

"That will never happen, so just forget about it." Leave it to me to try to rationalize with a crazy person. My sanity was wasted on her.

"Why Eddie? Why won't you be with me? It's because of that bitch, isn't it?" She launched into a tirade of insanity, babbling and making little sense. Her tentative hold on any semblance of rationality was quickly slipping as she grew more and more upset. "Don't waste your time on her, baby. She's nothing. She's not good enough for you or Masen. She has no business raising _our_ son. He needs his mother and father, not some music teacher who can't see she had the perfect life and still walked away." I was a bit shocked at the level of crazy she had reached. Did she really believe that Masen and I would ever have her? If she did, then she was nuttier than a can of party mix! Especially after what we'd had in Bella.

"Don't, Jessica. You don't get to talk about her like that. You have no fucking clue who Bella is or was. Just stop while you're ahead." I could have ripped her head off for that comment, but considering there were witnesses, er- customers- milling about, I thought twice.

"No, Edward! You need to hear this. Just get over her, because she isn't worth your time. She could never be what you and Masen need. She's not good enough for you and she sure as hell isn't Masen's mother. I am and I told her as much! That sure shut Miss 'High and Mighty' up real fast!"

_Wait, she'd spoken to Bella? When? Where? How the hell didn't I know this?_

"What do you mean, Jess? When did you tell her this?" I couldn't tell if this was just the delusional rantings of my crazy ex-wife or if she was serious. Either way she was clearly unstable and I needed to get her out of my shop before she started singing "The Good Ship Lollipop" and scared away the few customers I had.

"The last time I saw that _slut _with my son."

That did it. I didn't have to wait for the song and dance. The three customers I had browsing cleared out faster than if someone had pulled the fire alarm. I was finished with her and her Grade-A brand of delusion. I wanted this over with and her out of our lives for good.

_"WHEN?_ When did you see her, Jess?_"_

"I don't know! A few months back. Damn, Edward, you need to calm down. All this tension isn't good for you. What you need is a way to unwind, and I think I know exactly what you need..."

I scoffed at her telling me to calm down and was about to toss her out on her ass when the crazy bitch then dropped to her knees and started unbuckling my belt in the middle of the showroom floor. Anyone could have walked in and witnessed her trying to Hoover my dick. Just the thought of her mouth anywhere near my junk made me shrink in fear. Hell, I swear my balls tried to crawl back up into my body and if my dick could talk it would have sounded like a dwarf on helium screeching "RETREAT!" as it followed my balls to safety. Self-preservation is a powerful thing and a dick's gotta do _what_ a dick's gotta do to survive. I shoved her back with a firm palm to her forehead. She landed on her ass with a dull thud. "What the fuck, Jessica? Are you insane," I yelled.

"I just want to make you happy, Edward! Can't you see that," she whined.

I shook my head at her, my voice thick with pity, "No, Jessica, I can't. All I see is a selfish, sad excuse for a human being. You don't belong here. There's nothing here for you. I do not want you. Masen does not want or need you. You're toxic, and I you will not infect my son with your hate and megalomaniacal ways. You need to go back to wherever it was you've come from. I refuse to allow you to ruin my son's life the way you tried to years ago. Just leave and don't come back."

She stood there with her mouth hanging open, shocked, stunned. I took the opportunity to get one last thing off my chest.

"As far as Bella goes, you are dead wrong. I'm the one who never deserved her. My son is lucky to have someone like her love him. At least, thanks to her, he can say he's known a mother's love."

"You son of a-"

"Watch it, Jessica," I warned, the pity I'd felt just moments earlier dissolving into impatience. "That's my mother you're about to insult. I think you should quit while you're ahead. Just go. Go and have a pathetically self-absorbed life. Don't worry about keeping in contact or checking up with us, because I can assure you that Mini and I will be just fine." I heard a sound behind me. I turned to see that my family had gathered there. Jess noticed them as well.

"Well, I see my efforts here are wasted." She adjusted the strap of the obscenely large Luis Vuitton bag on her shoulder. "I always hated this podunk little town anyway. Just know that once I walk out that door, Edward Cullen, I will never walk back through it. We will be done. Forever."

"That's kinda what we're all hoping for, princess," Rose deadpanned. The group nodded and hummed. Jessica Stanley huffed and strutted out of the shop. We all liked the way "forever" sounded coming from her lips.

Emmett whooped what we were all thinking at that moment, "Well, ding, dong! The wicked witch is dead!"

There was great rejoicing in the land.

**~oOo~**

**A/N: **Thank you for reading.


	24. NYC & New Beginnings

**A/N: **Thank you to the eyes that see this before it is fit for viewing, and to the red pen that makes it presentable. Giant hugs to **TwilightMundi**. One day I'm going to buy you a yarn store in thanks for all that you have done for me. Or a sheep. Whichever.

We ALL need to thank **Barburella.** PROFUSELY. It was her gentle prodding and kind encouragement that got this chapter out of me. (Please note that last sentence was typed in sarcasm font. Replace "gentle" with "relentless" and "kind" with "alternative". Let's just say she got me across the finish line and leave it at that, okay?) Thank you, Babs. I joke that you're a pain in my ass, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love ya. This was always meant to be YOUR chapter, because it takes place in NYC. So, this one's for you. XOXOXO

**Barbi and Liz's Road Trip Play List:** "Don't Forget To Remember Me"- Carrie Underwood, "Breathe Again"- Sara Bareilles, "Get It Right"-Glee Cast, "Breathe In Breathe Out"- Mat Kearney, "Battle"- Colbie Caillat, "Wicked Game"- Chris Isaak*^, (*Note: Barbi DID NOT approve this song choice. This was all Liz. Barbi actually detests this song. Too effing bad. Liz likes it and what Liz wants Liz gets.) (^Barbi's Note: I've nothing against the song (besides it being too sad and whiny for the chapter) and everything against that douche Chris Isaac. His voice makes me want to cut my wrists.)

**RECAP of the** **Last Chap:** Edward and Mini were missing Bella. The girls were planning to visit Bella in NYC. Edward grew a pair and texted Bella. Oh, yeah, and Jessica got her eviction notice. Hasta la vista, bitch. Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split 'cha!

_By the way, I do not now, nor have I ever claimed to own any of the recognizable characters in this fic. I did, in fact, hatch the plot. Unless you hate it. In THAT case the plot is __**Barburella's**__. Send all hate mail to her._

_Enjoy the ride..._

**~oOo~**

**Chapter 23- NYC & New Beginnings**

**BOPV**

I loved NYC. I loved my apartment. I loved performing. I loved being in the middle of everything; the city practically vibrated with energy. It was exciting to know that I could step outside and, within a few blocks' walk, have the world under my feet. There was a plethora of fun (or trouble) to be found if I simply sought it out, and let me tell you, my fellow musicians were more than happy to introduce me to all the city's night life had to offer. The first few weeks after I moved were a blur of neon lights, dark bars, potent drinks with deceptively wimpy names that knocked you on your ass after drink number three, on and off Broadway shows, and night after night of fun times with new friends.

Still, no matter how exciting or fantastically fun city life was it didn't numb me to the hurt I felt at the total disconnect Edward had imposed. It was like a light had been switched off. There was no communication whatsoever. I'd tried to reach out to him, hoping that eventually he'd come around and see that we could be together even if we were apart. No way, he stood firm on his promise that he was finished with me if I moved. The only way I knew anything about Edward or Masen was through the family. They never made excuses for him, though, and they never gave me false hope that Edward might someday change his mind. I cherished any mention of the copper-haired mini musician and in a desperate email to Edward requested that we be allowed to continue to keep in touch. My answer came in the form of an email from the boy wonder. I literally squealed in delight when my phone chimed that I had a new message and found it was from Masen. I'll admit, though, that it broke my heart that Edward couldn't even bring himself to tap out a few lines in response. Everyday after that was a little easier knowing that I had at least this small connection to the life I loved back home.

Home. They say it's where the heart is, and regardless of whether Edward and I were together, my heart was where he and Mini were. I loved them both dearly, and my moving hadn't changed that in the least. So when I thought of home I thought of my roof-top deck that overlooked the Atlantic and the three of us, (well four if we're counting the mutt) lounging in the sun together. At times a part of me would wonder what I was thinking being so far from all I held dear, but I realized that was me missing Edward and Mini and all my friends and family. I knew I was where I was supposed to be. Mom, Alice, and Rose were always quick to remind me that this was what I'd dreamed of and how proud they were of me for following those dreams.

And I was living my dream. There was a rush that came from being on stage and bearing my soul for the hundreds of people that would come to hear us. I could care less about the money or the recognition. In fact, I'd have been just as happy if my name wasn't printed in that program. It had never been about the fame, only the music, and for the first time in my life I was sharing that part of me that had been desperate to be free.

Everything would melt away as I crossed the smooth wood of the stage and took my seat at the highly polished grand piano. Some nights I wondered if I wouldn't slip off the bench it was so meticulously and beautifully maintained. Some nights I wondered if my heart would burst from the fullness it felt. But every night, as I took my place at those keys, I would close my eyes and fervently wish that the men I loved could be sitting in that auditorium.

**~oOo~ **

We laid in the cool grass, seeking refuge from the late July heat amongst the dappled shade of a sycamore. All around us I heard the sounds of the city in the summer: roller bladers zooming past, families strolling along the paths that meandered through the park, kids playing nearby, and the ever-present honking of horns in the background. It was the erratic heartbeat of the city, like a pulse. There were times that I didn't even hear it, just white noise in the background. It seemed miles rather than yards away as we enjoyed an afternoon in Central Park. This was our favorite place to come for down time. It was a quick walk from our apartment. I still had a difficult time believing that me, the cat and the dog lived at The Dakota. Sometimes I swore I saw John Lennon's ghost roaming the halls. Well, it was either John or the delivery guy from the Thai place down the block. They looked a lot alike.

My favorite book, _The Little Prince_, shielded my eyes from the sun as I read. Darcy's head rested across my abdomen and the quiet sawing of his snores added to the lazy vibe of the afternoon. A Frisbee whizzed past us, narrowly missing the book I held and causing both me and the mutt to jump. I watched the death disk slice through the air and was reminded of another time and place when I would've been at the receiving end of a game of "monkey in the middle" with Mini; Darcy playing the part of the monkey. Apparently, Darcy remembered the game as well, because he jumped up and took off after the toy. He leaped over bodies that were peacefully lounging just as we had been only moments earlier. I had to race to catch up to him, and barely caught hold of his lead before he crashed through a hedge that lined the clearing. We headed back to our spot once I'd wrestled the Frisbee from his jowls and returned it to its rightful owner, apologizing to those we'd disturbed along the way.

"Well, big guy, that was exciting," I commented as I scratched and petted the beast at my feet. "You about ready to head back before we get kicked out for disturbing the peace?" I assumed the panting and tail thumping was a firm "yes" and began packing up. It was then that I noticed I had several unread texts. Just as I was about to read them my phone chimed that I had a new email.

"Wow, buddy, looks like we're Mister and Ms. Popularity. Too bad you don't have opposable thumbs, then you could answer some of these messages, seeing as half of them are for you!"

Mini had begun writing me daily a few weeks prior. At first his emails and texts were sweet and eager inquires about how Mr. D and I were adjusting to our new lives, but it didn't take long before he bi-passed me and went right to the source. One day I got a confusing text that was asking Darcy how things were in The City & wondering what we had been up to. It was pretty freaking adorable. Being the good sport that I am, I'd taken to replying to them as if the mutt were writing him back. Masen loved it, I had fun doing it, and it was like I'd never left and there weren't miles between us. He assured me, well he assured_ Darcy_,that he was keeping up with his piano lessons.

My phone chimed again.

**hey, buddy! u having a good sunday? what r u & b up 2?**

The kid never used caps when he texted; I wondered if he even knew how they worked. I chuckled as I typed in a reply.

_**MINI! *jumps up & slobbers all over ur face* Yeah! We went 2 the park, & took a nap, & I chased a run away flying disk that tried 2 attack B. B had fun chasing the disk too, or maybe she was chasing me. Either way she had fun. Going home now. How was ur day?**_

We started walking towards our apartment as I waited for his response.

**eeeeew! *wipes face* hahahaha! I bet bella had fun chasing you. flying disk? u mean a frisbee?**

He was so adorable. I loved that he felt like he could pick up his phone and text me anytime he wanted. His emails were just as sweet. Both helped me to miss him a little less, but it wasn't the same as being with him. I really missed that kid.

_**Yeah. What other types of flying disks r there? It was fun! **_

**sounds like it! did u get the disk?**

I laughed; he already knew that answer. Darcy never missed a catch.

_**Have you **_**met**_** me? I ALWAYS get my disk, little man! What have u been up 2?**_

I felt my smile grow as we strolled down the sidewalk. We crossed the intersection like seasoned New Yorkers, ignoring the impatient honks and shouting cabbies. It wasn't until we reached my building that we received a response and my hands were busy unlocking the gate and trying to maneuver us and all of our stuff to the elevators. I looked over his text as we rode up to the fourth floor.

**well, 2day dad & I went 2 look at wetsuits. i needed a new 1 & we r going 2 CFD later. oh, aunt alice says hi.**

_***doggy sigh* I miss Cullen Family Dinners. Em used 2 sneak me pieces of Esme's yummy chicken all the time.**_

**hey! so did i! **

_**I know! I know! I was just reminiscing.**_

**wow, d. that's some vocabulary you got there. living in the big city sure is rubbing off on you!**

_**Oh, HUSH you!**_

**lol i gotta go get ready for CFD. remind b about our skype date tomorrow, k darce?**

_**I'll remind her, but I doubt she's forgotten. Have fun at dinner, and tell Alice that B says "hi" back! **_

I set my phone safely on the counter once we were through the door. I took a moment to take in the beauty around me. Regardless if I lived there another two months or twenty years, I'd never be used to stunning accommodations I'd been provided at The Dakota. The architecture was regal, and the furnishings perfectly complemented the apartment. It wasn't huge- two bedrooms, two and a half baths - but it was all the three of us needed. I hardly felt at home, though. As posh and wonderful as it was to have lived there the past few months, I couldn't quite shake the feeling that I was apartment sitting for my crazy, eccentric Aunt Millie while she was out hunting lions in the Serengeti.

Okay, so I don't have anyone in my family who'd ever consider going on a hunting expedition, nor do I have a crazy Aunt Millie, but that hoity-toity place wasn't an exact fit for me. I was a beach girl; if we were going to stick around then I'd have to find a place better suited to our simple tastes. I felt the pressure to make some decisions with only one month left in my summer contract. I decided to call a realtor the following week to see about looking at a few places. The Orchestra hadn't offered me a long-term contract yet, but I wanted to be prepared just in case.

I looked up at the ornate clock on the wall, noticing that I needed to start getting ready for the evening's performance. The butterflies started their usual pre-show fluttering, and I grabbed a bottle of water and the other half of my morning bagel to help settle the raging beast within. I dressed quickly and sat at the vanity to curl my hair and apply the stage makeup that was necessary for performances. I could only imagine what the drivers thought when they picked me up each night. Up close I looked like a clown, or my fictional crazy Aunt Millie who was just a touch heavy handed with the blush and eye makeup. But from the stage the comical face paint kept me from looking like a marshmallow melting under the harsh lights.

I made a quick call to the car company we used to remind them to pick me up. Dan, the dispatcher, chuckled and once again reminded me that I was on the books as a standing run. I teased him and said I was just making sure they didn't forget about me. I missed my bikes and cars and the freedom they afforded me. I was determined to have my car and Janice shipped up here if I decided to stay on. Parking was astronomical, but I'd happily pay the price for a parking place if it meant I had the freedom to up and go somewhere whenever I damn well pleased. I hurried around the apartment, feeding the wild things I cohabited with, and gathered my briefcase and purse.

Ten minutes later I was in the back of the standard black sedan as it carried me across town to Lincoln Center; I fiddled with my smart phone as we wove in and out of traffic. I nearly jumped out of my skin when the damned thing went off in my hands, buzzing and chiming as a text came through.

**Hey there, Bubbles! I know you're probably really busy right now, but I just wanted to tell you to have a great performance. Break a leg! Wait, are you supposed to tell musicians to break a leg?**

I was even more surprised by who the text was from: Edward. His text had come earlier than usual that night. I grinned and thought how it was very sweet of him to text me and wish me luck. Even if he had a bizarre way of doing it.

_**Bubbles? You mean like MJ's pet monkey? **_

**Yeah, what other Bubbles is there? **

_**Well, you could be referring to my bubble butt, but then I'd have to beat you senseless.**_

**Hey, now! No need for violence, I was just wishing you luck. **

_**Aw, thanks, I think. So what's with the obscure name calling?**_

**I was comparing you to the most famous chimp of all time! It was a compliment! You were the one who misconstrued my obscure pop culture reference.**

_**Forgive me if I don't see your calling me a performing monkey as complimentary. But thanks for the erm, "warm wishes?"**_

**Anytime. Latter.**

Another text vibrated my phone.

**P.S. "Bubbles" was a reference to your personality, not the chimp. :P**

I chuckled to myself as I typed my closing text. Two could play his game.

_**Later, lard ass.**_

**HEY! Now who's calling names? I call foul!**

_**I call 'em how I see 'em, sorry. Gotta go! I'm at the Center! Night!**_

**Hehe! I better start adding time at the gym then. Night, Bella. Knock 'em dead.**

"We're here, Ms. Swan."

"Thanks, Jeff. Oh, I won't need you to pick me up tonight after the show. A bunch of us are going out afterwards for drinks."

"Sounds like fun," Jeff was a sweet older man who usually picked me up and hauled me back and forth from the concert hall. Otherwise I used public transit like the majority of New Yorkers. The drivers were the orchestra's way of assuring their principal chairs were there on time. "Have a great night then, Ms. Swan."

"We always do. Thanks again, night!"

"Night, ma'am."

I sat backstage, freshening up, when the deluge of "good luck" texts came flowing in. When I first moved to the city I'd get two, maybe three texts before a show encouraging me and wishing me luck, but after a few months the well wishes grew from a couple to more than several. First was always Alice; her usual, "Be awesome!" text came an hour or so before the lights came down. Soon after, Renee & Phil's joint, "Shine, baby, shine! We love you!" would follow. Once the crew jumped on the Good Luck ship there was no telling how many texts I'd get before a show. My phone buzzed again, and I checked the screen. There were texts from Em, Rose, and Esme. Dad had even sent a quick line telling me to make him proud. My favorite text always came from Mini. Each night it would be something different, but insanely odd. For instance, "Don't forget where you left Middle C" or "Remember, you play the big, BLACK instrument with all the white, shinny keys". My favorite had to be, "They don't pay you to look pretty, so don't screw up tonight."

Although I hadn't received nearly as many, Edward's texts came in a close second. Last month he'd texted me out of the blue. After the shock wore off I responded and flippantly answered his generic, "How are you?" with "I'm not sure, I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming." He went on to tell me that things were good back home and that he was just wondering how I was surviving the big city. I really didn't know how to handle this Edward. I wondered if we could joke like we used to, or were things still too sensitive for that. Were we friends? I just didn't know, so I let him lead. I'd broken down and tried to contact him numerous times after I'd moved, only to be ignored or passed off to Mini. So, when I was faced with actually communicating with him I was at a loss. It took some trial and error to find a comfortable place for "us." Toes we squashed when one of us overstepped our bounds or touched on something that was still too raw to be poked at. For a while**,** when he first started texting again, my anger would flare up whenever I saw his name flash across my screen. I could still feel the tender spots left behind from when he'd decided that there was no chance we could manage a long distance relationship. It was as if he'd deemed me unworthy of the effort. We made slow progress, starting out with short texts, then branching out into brief emails that went onto more details than our texts could give, which grew longer and more personal. I was pleasantly surprised by each and every contact he made. I didn't take a single one for granted, and I feared each might be the last. Until one day my phone rang and I looked down to see Edward and Mini's picture pop up on the screen. The contact read, "My Men calling". My heart skipped a beat seeing that. Masen had only called me from his cell phone up until then, and this was Edward's home phone. I answered it; the single word more question than greeting, "Hello?"

"Bella? It's Edward," the butterflies in my stomach fought to break out and fly free.

"Hey, Edward." My voice sounded small and very unlike me. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm good." The line went stone silent for so long that I'd thought my cell had dropped the call.

"You there?" I asked nervously.

"Yeah, sorry. I just was trying to decide what I should say next."

That call was the most painful five minutes I had ever spent in a phone conversation. I was almost relieved when we finally hung up. Then I felt the loss of the caress of his voice. I had an actual argument with myself over whether or not I would call him back just to hear him again. I didn't, but, oh man, I wanted to. About half an hour later I received a text.

**Sorry about the awkward call. I just wanted to hear your voice.**

It was so honest, and so very like my old Edward. Hope bloomed deep within me that there was a small chance that we could work through this.

And so began our daily texts. Sometimes they were nonsense, other times we chatted back and forth about what was going on in our respective lives. We eventually graduated into less awkward phone calls. Those were amazing, though not as frequent as our texts. I felt like I was getting to know Edward all over again. There were times when I wondered if I'd ever really known him to begin with. We had jumped into "us" immediately, and even though we had been through the whole "sexbargo" thing, this time apart seemed to be allowing us to learn things about each other we'd never seen fit to share.

My phone chimed on my dressing table. Edward, again. The smile on my face couldn't be contained.

**Make us proud, B.**

I didn't have time to reply. I was called out on stage just then, and he didn't really expect an answer anyway. I'd text him or Mini later to let them know how everything went.

**~oOo~**

I looked out at the ocean and the way the setting sun played with the darkening sky. It had been so long. Too long since the last time I felt his hands on my skin. So, when he reached out to touch me I felt an actual jolt of electricity. Instinctively I recoiled from the surge of energy, but before I could get a safe distance his arm wound around my waist pulling me to him.

"Don't run. Never run from me, my Bella," his words tangled in my hair as the wind sent wet tendrils swirling around our heads. The grit in his voice rivaled the sand beneath our feet. It was thick with lust and desire. His voice was lusty, not the sand.

"I wasn't, I swear. You just shocked me, is all," I breathed into his bare chest. His hands roamed over my arms, smoothing the goose bumps that had been raised by the cool evening breeze. My hands sought the warmth radiating off his back and shoulders. The breath from my lungs caught in my chest when his lips brushed my temple.

"I need you, Bella. I need to be with you. Don't push me away," his hold on me tightened, bringing our chests flush against each other. A moan escaped me when his hard plains pressed against my soft curves. Our lips moved over each other's skin like vagabonds on a deserted stretch of highway. I could taste the salt on his skin as I licked and nipped along his neck.

"I need you, too, Edward. Oh, how I need you!" My cry broke free like something from a porno sound tract. A high budget porn, mind you, but it was _porny_ all the same. Edward didn't seem to mind as he pulled us down onto the shore. The waves lapped at his ankles stretched before him. He added his own sounds to our duet of smut as he settled me on his lap. I folded my legs around his waist, scooting closer still, aching to feel him long and rigid against me. I ground down hard, Edward sucked at the ridge of my collar bone, nuzzling lower and lower until he reached the edge of my bra cup. The fabric was soaked from the surf that rushed up and crashed around us.

"Off," his hands worked at my back to unclasp the offending article. I snaked my hand between us and flicked the front closure open. With a satisfying "pop" the cups fell open baring my breasts to him. A growl ripped from his chest; the look in his eyes was feral as he stared at the bounty before him. He looked like a starving man about to feast on a twenty pound gobbler. Little time was wasted; the stripped bra was caught in the waves; two twin boats carried out to sea by the tide. I tried not to think about how that had been my favorite bra and how awesome it made my tits look.

The tension between us erupted in pants and moans as we sought out the sweet friction of our bodies rubbing against each other. Edward circled his tongue around one pink tipped nipple and then the other, sucking and caressing each equally. I'd forgotten how intense his mouth felt on my sensitive skin, his hot breath branding me with each exhale. Our not-so-PG-13 sounds were drowned out by the fury of the surf. I felt him tug at the swatch of fabric between my legs, pushing it to the side in order to gain access to the cave of treasures that lay behind it. The instant his fingers brushed the heated skin there my eyes rolled back in my head reflexively. I writhed and rode his hand as he worked his very talented fingers deeper inside me. It was clear it wouldn't take long for me to explode like a firework. I was so wound up, just a few more strokes and I would be lighting up the night sky like the Fourth of July!

"So close, baby! So close!" My cries mingled with the sounds of "Love, Sex, Magic" that was playing on a loop in my head. The irony of the fact that that was Edward's ring tone on my phone was lost on me as I fought to focus on my approaching release. The chorus grew louder the closer I got.

"Don't stop! Right there! _Ohmy_! Oh! My... "

My eyes snapped open. I was momentarily confused by my surroundings. Soft bed, cloud-like fluffy comforter, light blue walls. I was safely cocooned in my room in the city, not on some beach being sexed up by the gorgeous man of my dreams.

I heard the Rjhanna pounding out her sexy trinity and realized that it was, in fact, my phone ringing. Edward was calling. I hurried to answer it.

"Hello...! Edward!" I fought to slow my pounding heart. Between the smexy dream and having real life Edward on the phone, I was fighting a losing battle.

"Uh, yeah, Bella, it's me. Is everything okay?"

"Of course it is! Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well, you just sound a little funny, that's all."

I looked down and realized I was wearing my favorite bra and panty set, the same ones from my dream. I must have been so exhausted the night before that I had fallen asleep before I could even change into my pajamas. That explained my odd choice of beach wear. It also explained how there was little to no discomfort whilst the beach sexcapades went down. Sand in sensitive areas is not fun. Chaffing is painful and should be avoided at all costs. Especially in said sensitive areas.

"Oh, you woke me up. Late night, and you know how hard I sleep. Were you calling for a specific reason?"

"Yeah, I was, actually. I wanted to warn you that Alice might be calling you soon."

"Really? Why would you need to warn me? She does that at least once a day." I heard him snicker.

"I know, but she's calling to tell you that she, Rose, and Esme are planning to come for a visit. Soon."

"Wow! I'm glad you called then. I might need to practice my surprised voice, but at least I have a heads up."

"No problem. Sorry I woke you, Bella. Go back to sleep. I'm sure you could use the rest."

"Thanks, and don't worry. You can call anytime."

"Bye, Bella. Sweet dreams."

"Ha. Thanks. Tell Mini I said hey and I'll call him soon, okay?"

"Sure thing."

"Bye, Edward."

"Bye, Bella."

I had to look on the bright side: I may have only been dreaming, and I may have been cock-blocked by the very man whose world I was dreaming about rocking, but at least I hadn't actually lost my favorite bra to the sea. I'd hate to think that the little mermaid, Ariel, got to enjoy one of my most cherished of Vicky's Secrets.

**~oOo~**

Thanks to Edward's cock blocking wake up call-slash-warning, I wasn't surprised when I got the call from Alice informing me that she, Esme, and Rose were all coming to visit. I may not have been surprised, but I was overjoyed. I'd missed them all so much. I literally counted down the days until they arrived mid-July. And, man, did they arrive! Like a tornado they swept into the city; their energy and excitement vibrated around them. It was fun to see the city through their eyes. They insisted on visiting all the typical touristy sites. I swear I spent those four days chasing after Esme as she zoomed from one site to the next. Forget the pink bunny! Energizer needed _her_ for their mascot. We went everywhere, from the highest point in NYC to the most southern. I lost count of how many shows we saw. Rose insisted on seeing Sister Act for some unknown reason, Alice loved Phantom, and Esme was smitten with Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The latter was a psychedelic drag show with more queens than South Beach in Miami. That's a lot of queens. We got all dolled up and wore pink feather boas. It was a blast and a highlight of our girl weekend. All the shows were amazing, but Wicked would always be my favorite. I'd seen it when I visited NYC to audition, and it was superb. Somehow the four of us wound up at the Muppet exhibit out in Queens. There seemed to be a "Queen" theme to their visit; but it was actually a very interesting exhibit. I was glad we'd made the effort to go see it. Esme was tickled pink to see the characters she had so loved growing up; I think it was the highlight of her visit.

Most of all, Girls' Weekend was a chance for us to catch up and reconnect. I missed having them just up the road; missed being able to just hop on my bike and head over to Alice's for a glass of wine and some girl talk. We crammed in every second of yakity-yaking we possibly could. It was no surprise who was the main topic of conversation: Mini. That boy had us all wrapped around his little finger. He was doing well, according to the gals. Although I spoke to him often and he seemed to be every bit as settled as they said, it was good to hear it from these women who knew him so well. Hearing it didn't stop me from missing him, though. By the time they left we all resolved to hatch a plan to get Mini up to see me perform. And where Mini went, Edward went.

**~oOo~**

It wasn't long after the girl's visit that I was called in for a meeting with the orchestra's directors. Once again I found myself sitting in a meeting room, surrounded by some of the most talented people I'd ever met who were calmly telling me how talented they thought _I _was, and what a positive addition I was to the orchestra.

"Bella, having you join us these past few months has been fantastic. We'd like to consider this trial period a success and offer you a one-year contract with the Philharmonic..." Mr. Stewart's voice faded into the faint noises of the city outside. The sound of my own voice was jarringly loud as I stared at the contract that had been pushed across the table and sat before me. There was no way I could make a decision like that on the spot. So I did the one thing I probably should have done a long time ago; I decided to go back to where everything began.

"I'm going to need to a little time to consider this very generous offer, gentlemen." Nervously I fiddled with the stack of papers in front of me. "Could I take a few days to look this over?"

"Certainly, I believe you have an 'off' weekend coming to you," Mr. Stewart offered. As part of my temporary contract I had been allowed a free weekend that I'd yet to use.

"I do, but I'd like to request a few days this week. I have some things I need to get in order, and they can't be handled over a weekend's time. I'm sorry to be an imposition, but don't I have a few sick days that I could use? I'll be happy to wave my off weekend if I can just have a few days next week to settle some loose ends."

"That won't be necessary. Go ahead and take the rest of the week. We'll survive."

Tucking the contract in my bag, I politely thanked the men at the table and backed out of the office. I wasn't in the elevator before I'd Googled flight times. By Wednesday I was on a plane, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared as hell about what I was on my way to do. I just hoped this little journey would help give me the clarity I needed to make the right decision.

**~oOo~**

_**A/N: **_Dun, dun DUUUUUUN! Yeah, I went there! Don't throw things, though! This is the first REAL cliffie I've done this entire fic, so no complaining!

We only have three more chapters left. I can't believe that. I had to check to make sure I had that right, but it's right there in my outline. Three chapters, and that INCLUDES the epi. I have a goal of completing this fic before November, so that should give you an idea of how much time is left.

In case you missed it, I posted a mini outtake from Mini's POV. Its called "Dear Diary and Barbie Dolls". It might give an insider's view to what's been going on back in Florida.

Thank you all for reading and sticking with me. I truly don't deserve you. Until next time...


	25. Rides & Realizations

A/N: Beloved readers: The point of view flops back and forth in this chapter, something I normally abhor. But I have a method to my madness, if nothing more than to throw you off the trail of my thinly veiled plot outline. This will be the only chapter formatted this way. *Pay attention and try to keep up. )

*Sarcasm font (Cuz I'm soooo hard to keep up with. NOT.)

Special thanks to TwilightMndi for not shooting me when I asked if I could have this by Tuesday when I sent it on Sunday, and for not translating it into Portuguese in retaliation. I love your wonderful heart, and you make this long-ass road trip much less bumpy.

Barburella, how many ways can I profess my adoration of you? Thank you, for so many things I can't list them all here. Most of all, thank you for your friendship. You are a sister of the heart.

Barbi and Liz's Road Trip Play List: "The House That Built Me"- Miranda Lambert, "Home"- Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, "Head Hull Of Doubt, Road Full Of Promise"- Avett Brothers, "Listen TO Your Heart"- D.H.T., "Come Home"- One Republic & Sara Bareilles, "Home"- Michael Buble

I still own nothing worth claiming. Render to Stephenie what is Steph's and all that jazz...

Chapter 25- Roads and Realizations

BPOV

~oOo~

After the offer to extend my stint with the orchestra, I knew I needed to get out of the city and clear my head so I could decide what I wanted to do. I got the sweet lady across the hall to agree to let Darcy stay with her while I was gone. She also agreed to pop in and take care of Chaucer while I took a few days to get some things settled. Before I went anywhere, though, I had a promise to keep. I sat at my computer waiting for the call to come through. It was 8:04; he was four minutes late. Part of me wondered what had kept him, he was always right on time for our "scheduled" Monday Skype dates. The other part of me was thinking what a dork I was that I considered four minutes "late". Right around that time the screen flashed Mini's picture and the annoying ring of a Skype call sounded from the speakers.

"Hey, buddy," I accepted the call and clicked to make the call a video chat. "How are ya?"

"Hey, B! I'm great! Where's Darce?"

"Wow. I'm good, Masen. Thanks for asking," I deadpanned and pulled Darcy into view of the camera. "Here he is. I know he's the main reason you're calling anyway."

"Aw, B! Don't be like that! I just wanted to say hi to him so we could talk. Hey, Darcy! You being a good boy?" The mutt was crushing my legs trying to get closer to the screen and the boy he loved. The screen filled with a shot of his snout as he moved too close to the camera.

"Ew, Mr. D! Knock it off? You're killing me! I'll be paralyzed from the waist down if you don't get off me. That's enough; you saw the kid, now, sit!" The beast grudgingly obeyed and sat next to me on the floor so Masen could see us both while we talked. "So what kept you, Mini? You were late," I teased him.

"Dad made me practice before I called. I was running behind tonight. I wasn't that late, was I?"

"Nah. I'm just giving you a hard time. How're your lessons coming with Jake?" I mindlessly pet Darcy while talking to his boy. He settled down, content to hear Mini's voice and get attention from me.

"They're okay, I guess. I mean, I'm learning new stuff and all that, but it's not the same as it is with you."

"That's sweet of you to say, Mase, but you know that Jake is a phenomenal instructor. It's all about your attitude. Just do your best, okay?"

"Okay," he conceded.

"Okay," I parroted. "So, how's your dad? What's he doing?" I hoped that sounded as easygoing as I had intended. It wasn't very likely.

"He's fine, and he's doing the dishes."

"Sounds like a ton of fun. Isn't that your job, mister?"

"Yeah, but he said that he'd do them tonight so I could call you and not be too late."

"What a nice dad! You had best not give him a hard time about practicing tomorrow as a 'thank you' and tell him I said 'hi'."

"Yeah, I will, and I guess you're right."

"Hey! What do you mean 'guess'? I'm always right, remember?" My hands propped themselves on my hips in mild protest.

"How could I forget? You're constantly reminding me." His giggle sounded through the computer. He stuck his tongue out at me playfully. I'd never missed him more than I did at that moment.

~oOo~

EPOV

A storm was rolling in off the water, and the sand beneath me was cool. I pulled my jacket closer to my body. The grey of the sky matched my mood. I'd been sitting on the shore for almost an hour listening to the waves and wind and thinking about Bella and Masen. And Bella. Mostly Bella. I'd been considering what to do about our renewed communication. The emails, calls, texts- all of it- was more than I'd imagined possible after she left. We were in daily contact with one another, and each interaction was the highlight of my day. I'd find myself grinning at the screen on my phone after she'd text me randomly or chuckling at something I remembered her telling me the day before. I thought of her more often than not, and while I loved the thought of Bella being on my mind that much, nothing had changed regarding her being hundreds of miles away. We were still exactly where we were the day she left. Except that I was considerably more open to the possibility of a long distance relationship. Isn't there some saying about absence making the heart grow fonder? In my case it was distance...

~oOo~

The sand next to me shifted when Alice sat down. "Hey, there, wonder twin," she said as she settled against my side.

"Wow. It's been a long time since you called me that. What brings you out here?"

"Well, I've been watching you from my balcony for a while now, and I thought you looked like you could use some company. Man, it's getting chilly out here."

"A little. I'm fine, you don't have to stay out here. I don't want you catching a cold and sneezing all over the shop for the next week, infecting the rest of the guys."

"Aw! Aren't you a sweetie? Who knew you had a soft, creamy center?"

"Don't let it get around. I'd hate for my bad ass image to be compromised by a little sibling bonding." We both chuckled, and Alice bumped my arm with her shoulder. "Ouch! Watch where you poke that thing! You need to put some meat on those bones of yours, little sis. How is Jazz not covered in bruises from head to toe?"

"Maybe he is. They're just well camouflaged." Her well-manicured eyebrows did a crazy jumpy thing on her forehead.

"Gross, Alice. What happens in Chez Whitlock, stays in Chez Whitlock. Please."

"You brought it up, twinnie. Don't ask, don't tell."

"Okay, okay. Got it." I shook my head partly in disbelief and partly to clear my head of any wayward images of my best friend and my sister. "So what really brought you out here?"

"Honestly? I thought you looked like you needed someone to talk to. I felt that pull. So, rather than fight it and let you brood, I decided to be the amazeballs sister that I am and come sit in the freezing wind and listen to your shit load of problems. So, spill."

We sat there for a moment, the quiet between us peaceful and tangible. There had always been that connection between us. Words weren't always needed for us to convey what was on our minds. It wasn't anything like telepathy, more like an understanding, a deep connection. Maybe it was all that time we'd spent together in the womb; whatever the reason, she knew me in a way no one else did. Knew when to push me, knew when to back off. Knew when to let me think, and knew when to fill the silence. Right then she let sounds of the sea lull the conversation from me. It worked.

"I miss her, Alice. Really miss her."

"We all do, Edward. You're not the only one who loves her," her own loss tainted the tone of her voice.

"I know, but it isn't the same."

"Bullshit. Love is love. Just because you did dirty, dirty things to her doesn't mean that we love her any less. Just differently."

"Uh, Allie, I think we need to have a discussion about boundaries. I'm not entirely comfortable about talking to you about what I did or didn't do with Bella." A nervous chuckle rumbled from my chest.

"Shut it. I'm not interested in talking about you and Bella doing the nasty. What I am interested in talking about is what you plan to do about missing her."

"I don't know. That's part of the problem. What is there for me to do?" I paused and our quiet wrapped around us. "She's in New York, living her dream and I'm... here." Alice wrapped her arms around my bicep, resting her head against my arm. A shiver shook through her, but she ignored it. After a few minutes she spoke up.

"So go there."

"What? You're kidding, right?"

"No. Why would I kid about that?"

"I can't just show up there."

"Well, duh! You call her first, goomba."

"You really think she'd want me to visit?"

"She seemed genuinely happy to have us visit her."

"That's different, I doubt I'd get the same reception you guys did."

"Why?"

"Come on, Alice! You know why. There's history there; so much has been left unsaid."

"Then go see her and make it right! Edward, if you can't man up and swallow your pride then you don't deserve that woman. And you're not the man I've always believed you to be."

She never raised her voice; the calm that radiated from her was almost creepy. There was no drama, but plenty of passion. And love. She was holding up the proverbial mirror, forcing me to look at myself and decide what it was that I wanted. One of the downfalls of beach living was all that sand- plenty of real estate to play ostrich in. Alice was helping me get out of my own way.

I was mentally swimming in a sea of gratitude when she quietly and simply stated, "I think she'd love to see you, Edward."

I snapped out of my stupor to pose a hypothetical situation.

"Let's say I go to New York. Then what?"

"Then you talk to her, sweetie. You two need to talk."

"We have been talking. For a while now."

"I mean really talk. You need to tell her how you feel and she needs to hear it. That being said you need to hear what she has to say as well. I think you're both ready to listen. Something tells me that the time is right and that you should go soon."

"You mean like a premonition?"

"No. I can't see the future, dork." she playfully punched me. "Call it women's intuition. Call her and then go. Don't over think it. We'll take care of Mini. Just go."

I sat there letting her words sink in; the waves rushed up onto the shore and then sulked back into the sea. I wrapped my arm around my sister, drawing her closer.

"Thanks, Allie."

"For what?"

"For being you. For knowing what I needed. For not kicking sand on my face when I was down."

"Oh, please. I haven't kicked sand at you since we were little, and you deserved it for destroying my sandcastle masterpiece. Admit it." she teased.

"I will do no such thing."

"Admit it, or I will kick sand at you!"

"Okay! Okay!" I held up my hands in surrender. "I deserved it. I shouldn't have gone all Godzilla on your Sand Tokyo."

"It was Sand Topia, and it was perfection until you stomped it to rubble!" she pouted just like she had when we were kids all those years earlier.

"I love you, twinnie," I pulled her into a hug.

"I love you, too, Edward." She extended her fist and I bumped it with my own. "Wonder twins..."

"UNITE!" we chimed together.

"Now, get your ass up there and get our girl."

"Yes, sir!" I saluted her and ran up the path to the condos. I could hear her laughing behind me as she followed me.

"You STILL run like a girl!" she called.

I saluted her with a single finger over my shoulder as I ran like a girl to go call my girl.

~oOo~

I was putting the last of the dishes away when I heard the cutest giggle. Drying my hands I peered around the corner to see Mini with his back to me; the computer screen in front of him framed a beautiful image of Bella with Darcy by her side. My heart lurched towards the scene. The little bugger had beat me to calling Bella like I'd planned. So, the two were entrenched in a chat that I was dying to crash. And crash it I did.

"Hey, beautiful!" I called to out into the room.

"Oh, hey yourself, handsome," came her response. "I didn't know you were in the room or I would have said hello sooner. You're mighty stealthy these days." I made my way to crouch down into the range of the camera.

"Well, I was talking to the magnificent beast next to you, but hey to you too, Bella."

"Shut it, Cullen. Don't make me hurt you, mister," she pseudo threatened.

"Please, Swan. Like I'm afraid of you." She gasped at my scoff.

"You know I can and will do you harm, Edward Cullen. Don't press your luck."

"I'd watch out if I were you, Dad. You're on thin ice. She double-named you." Mini had been looking back and forth between the two of us like he was watching a tennis match. His wise warning didn't fall on deaf ears. I knew I needed to be on her good side when I suggested the possibility of visiting her in the next week or so. I tried to smooth things over and wrap up the mock argument.

"Okay, okay. You win. Double naming wins out every time. I'll behave. In fact I have to get back to work. It was good to see and hear you, B. You look wonderful, as usual."

"Aw, thanks, Edward. Same to you. We'll talk soon. G'Night."

"Night, B." I forced myself to stand and go back into the kitchen while they wrapped up their call.

For the rest of the night I wore a stupid, silly grin like a badge of honor.

~oOo~

BPOV

Wednesday found me on a plane. I stepped of the ramp into the airport and prayed that this trip would give me the answers I so desired. Hurrying to catch a cab, I powered on my phone and called Rene. The call went to her voice mail, and I left a message.

"Hey, Mom. I'm here. The flight was fine. I can't believe how hot it is here. I don't remember it being this hot this time of year. Um, I'm jumping in a cab now and heading to the house. I'll let you know once I get there. I love you. Bye."

The taxi pulled up to a familiar facade and I paid the driver. I really should have had him stay, just in case things didn't go as I planned, but I could always call for another if I needed to. I carefully made my way up the walk to the front door, my carry on rolling behind me. I took in the landscape; it wasn't so different from when I was there last. The realization surprised me. I wondered what else would be the same. I stood at the door, poised to knock.

With a deep breath I said to myself, "Here goes nothing," and rapped at the worn wood with three quick knocks. The butterflies threatened to burst out of my stomach at any moment, and with them what little lunch I'd had. What was I thinking, coming here like this- unannounced and uninvited? I just knew that I was going to be back on a plane, headed for New York and without any of the answers I'd come for.

"I should have called first," I chastised myself under my breath. "A little warning would have probably been nice."

Checking my watch I saw it had been almost two minutes since I knocked. I did so again. No answer. Just as I turned to leave the door flew open. "Can I help you?" The voice belonged to a kind faced woman at least a decade older than myself drying her hands on a dish towel.

"Um, yes. My Name is Bella Swan, and I grew up here. I know this is weird, but I'm visiting from New York, and I was wondering if maybe I could look around?" I knew it was highly unlikely that anyone in this day and age would simply let a stranger into their home to poke around simply because they claimed to live there twenty-some-odd years earlier. So I wasn't surprised when the woman kindly declined my request.

"Really? It's nice to meet you. I'm Sissy. Sissy Johns." Mrs. Johns leaned against the door jam, "Well... I don't know... I'm sorry, Ms. Swan, but I don't know you and I really don't feel comfortable letting you in. I'm sure you understand." The woman's voice sounded genuinely apologetic, and I rushed to assure her that I did understand.

"Of course, I do, Mrs. Johns, but I've come all the way from New York to Phoenix to visit. Do you think that I might be able to just look around in the yard? Maybe sit on the porch steps for a bit? I promise you won't even know I'm here."

"Well, I guess that'd be okay. Don't see the harm in letting you wander around in the wilds of the backyard. If you come across the old push mower buried amongst the weeds and cacti feel free to strong arm it a pass or two." I thanked her profusely, and she slipped back into the house with a wink and grin.

I left my bag on the porch and stepped down the few weathered steps and made my way around back. She wasn't kidding; the backyard was calf high in dead, dried weeds up near the house, and further out the yard had become overrun by bramble and cactus bushes. I stuck close to the perimeter of the house not wanting to get snagged on any of the menacing flora.

I came across a concrete slab, cracked and dusty at the foot of the back stairs that led up to the back porch. A faint memory of Reese and me pressing our hands into concrete had me toeing the dust and sand to unearth the two sets of tiny handprints that I recalled leaving there. Sure enough, they were there along with our names and the date scratched in the once-wet concrete. I knelt down and pressed my hands into the imprints there. First into my own and then into Reese's. She had been two when dad had poured the slab. I loved to ride my bike and Mom had badgered him into it, claiming she wanted me to have a safe, smooth place to ride in back where she could keep an eye on me. Eventually a picnic table and grill had made their way onto the patch of concrete, but the obstacles made my afternoon rides more interesting.

I fished my phone from my back pocket snapped a shot of the two sets of prints, the closest I could get to bringing them back with me. I sat on the step and sent a copy of the picture to my mom via email with the subject line "Good Memories" so she'd know I was there and okay. I got a text in reply that read, "Thanks, baby. Call if you need your momma." I didn't need to answer.

I looked out over the yard, trying to remember what it looked like when we were younger. We'd had a play set with a slide and swings. There was a set of monkey bars that stretched across the top. I used to love climbing to the top and look out at the world. I also loved that I could get up there and Reese couldn't. She'd stand underneath and whine for me to come down or help her up. I'd tease her for a little while, then eventually I'd relent and swing down over the side to land next to her. Then we'd swing for days and days. At least it felt that way. We'd stay out there until Momma called us in for dinner.

I heard a door slide open behind me, and I looked up to see Mrs. Johns come out with two tall glasses of what looked like pink lemonade. She extended one to me and took a seat next to me, "You looked thirsty sitting there."

"Thank you, I am. The air from the plane really sucks the moisture out of ya. Not to mention that I'd forgotten how hot it gets here."

"When were you here last?" We both took a long pull on our drinks. It was like a sip of heaven; the sweet balancing the sour perfectly.

"Um, about twenty years ago. Give or take a few; we moved to Florida when I was little."

"I'd always wondered who these prints belonged to. It's nice to finally meet the girl behind the hands."

"It's hard to imagine we were ever that small. Even Reese. She was my sister," I clarified.

"Reese... what a pretty name. Unusual."

"It's short for Theresa. Dad liked to call her Reesey Cup. She passed away when we were very small." I hadn't planned on blurting that last part out, it just spilled out.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She gasped, her hand covering her mouth that hung open in shock. "How tragic for you're family. That must have been devastating!"

"Thank you, Ms. Johns-"

"Please, Bella, call me Sissy. Everyone does."

"Okay, Sissy," it felt funny calling someone else a nickname I'd been called all my life. "Thank you, but it was a long time ago. She was a very important part of our family, and it was the most difficult thing we've ever had to deal with. She was our life. I miss her everyday." I drank more of the lemonade. I blamed the tickle at the back of my throat on being thirsty, but the truth was, sitting there talking about Reese, had stirred up some raw emotions.

"When did you move?"

"We moved to Florida about a year after Reese's accident. I haven't been back here since then."

"That's a long time to be gone. No wonder you wanted to come in and look around." I nodded in acknowledgement. We sat there for a few minutes then Sissy said, "Come inside out of the heat. You can have a look at your old home and tell me if it's changed much."

"Oh, no! You don't have to do that. I'm fine, really. Sitting here has been great, and I can't blame you for not wanting a weirdo in your home."

"Please. I insist," she touched my shoulder and got up to lead me inside. "And I highly doubt you're a weirdo, Bella."

We walked into the little dining area off the kitchen. It was much smaller than I remembered, but wasn't that how it went when you knew something from your childhood? The kitchen had been recently remodeled and was efficient and somewhat modern without being out of place in the older home. I set my glass on the counter as I took in the space. "This is a great kitchen. My mom would have loved this," I complimented.

"Thanks, Frank and I fancy ourselves weekend warriors and did some remodeling last year. We're very happy with the results." She was being humble, but the pride in her voice was clear. And she was right to be proud. The work was all done very well. "Feel free to roam around downstairs. I'm gonna switch over some laundry then I'll take you upstairs, okay?"

"That'd be wonderful. Thank you."

"Don't mention it, Bella."

She walked off in what I assumed was the direction of the laundry room, and I continued on into the dinning room. It hadn't changed much except for the furniture and paint. It opened up to the cozy family room that we had all cuddled up and watched movies together in, where my first piano had sat against the far wall. Here, again, the furniture was newer and the colors rich and inviting. If Mom had been involved in the outfitting of this room it would have had a decidedly more bohemian feel to it. This, however, was a room where you wanted to sink into the couch and read a favorite book. Sissy came in the room just as I was about to test out the "comfortabilty" of the aforementioned comfy couch, "Ready to head upstairs?"

"Yes, I think so. Your home is lovely, Sissy. You and Mr. Johns have done a wonderful job with the renovations."

"Well, thanks, Bella. The old place had good bones. It didn't take much to whip her into shape. It was evident to us from the moment we walked through the door that a lot of love had been shared here. There was this vibe that we got when we toured it. We knew immediately that this was the home for us. It's nice to know the source of that loving vibe." She reached to grasp my hand and gave it a warm squeeze. We started up the stairs with her in the lead.

"Do you and Frank have children?" Maybe it was a little intrusive for me to have asked, but I hadn't noticed any pictures of kids when I was looking around downstairs.

"No, we were never blessed with children of our own, but Frank is a Troop leader for one of the local Boy Scout chapters, and I'm a middle school history teacher, so we're surrounded by children. What about you, Bella? Do you have a family of your own?"

I thought immediately of Edward and Mini. They might not have been mine, per say, but I would always consider them as such. "I'm single, but I'm also a teacher, so we have that in common. I hope to someday have a family. Who knows who or what's waiting around the corner, right?"

"Right!" We reached the top of the stairs and she motioned to the room to her left, "I use this room as a sewing-slash-craft room." I peeked in to what used to be a guest room when we lived there. It was neatly appointed with everything a sewer-slash-crafter could dream of.

"This is a great room! My mom would love it. It's so organized!"

"Yeah," she laughed, "I'm kind of a nut case about this stuff. My husband's just grateful it's all contained in one room." I glanced across the hall to a mostly closed door that used to be Mom and Dad's room. Next was the bathroom that I was surprised hadn't seen the same renovations that most of the rest of the house had. "We're still trying to decide how we want to do this bath. It's the last thing on the "reno" list and we just can't seem to get around to do it."

"I can understand being busy, believe me."

"Well, we'll do it one day. So what do you teach in the big city, Bella?"

"Excuse me?" I was confused by her question and distracted by where we were headed next.

"You said that you're a teacher and that you live in New York; I was just wondering what you teach." I didn't get a chance to answer her. We came to the next room: the room Reese and I shared for years. Her question was quickly forgotten. She went in first. "This is the guest room. Honestly, it's my favorite room in the house. I love that the bay window looks out over the front yard." So had Reese.

"This was our room," my voice was barely a whisper. "We shared a room because she loved being close to me. Even as a baby." There were two twin beds with a nightstand between them on the same wall that our beds had been on.

"Have a seat," Sissy motioned to them. I sat on one and she sat across from me. "She sounds like she adored you."

A smile and chuckle escaped at the memory of just how devoted she was. "Yeah, she was pretty attached. She called me Sissy, you know."

"No, really?" She smiled.

"My parents still call me that every once in a while. More so recently. I think we're all starting to finally be in a place where we see her life as a blessing rather than a loss. It has taken a long time, but I think we're finally getting there. That's why I'm here. I needed to come back and say goodbye. I never got that chance."

"Oh, sweetie," Sissy reached across and grasped my hand, offering strength and peace to a complete stranger. "I'm glad you came back then. You want me to leave you alone for a few minutes? Take your time. Just come down when you're ready."

"Are you sure? I hate that I'm imposing on you. You've been so kind. I don't want to take advantage..."

"I absolutely do not mind. Please, make yourself at home." she winked at me and with a final squeeze of my hand left me alone with my thoughts and memories.

For a while I just sat there. Looking at the empty bed across from me. I could feel Reese around me, but that wasn't anything new. I knew she was a part of me, part of my heart. I had come with a purpose: to put the past behind me and make decisions about my future. What better place to do that then there in the room we'd shared for years, dreaming and planning our futures together.

I closed my eyes and an image of Reese flooded my mind. Yeah, she was there. Not in a ghostly, haunting kind of way, just that my memory of her was fresh and vivid.

In my mind's eye she was beautiful- and filthy- like the day she decided to make mud pies for everyone. It hadn't rained in months, and everything was dry and dusty, but that didn't stop our Reesey Cup. She came to each of us and asked what our favorite kind of pie was and then pretended to write the "orders" out on a pad. It didn't faze her that she couldn't read or write yet. Whatever she wrote down on that pad made sense to her, and she took her orders very seriously.

She went and dug through Mom's pans, toting most of them out back. Next was the hose. She heaved and hoed until she'd wrestled the beast to her makeshift kitchen. It spit and sputtered when she turned the spigot on. By the time Mom found her the ground was saturated and puddled, there were about ten "pies" of varying "flavors", and Reese was covered from head to toe in mud. As Mom hosed her off she was doubly shocked to find that not only had Reese just converted the backyard into the new neighborhood pig sty, but she'd also decided to do so in her brand new Easter dress. The dress that we'd spent the entire day before shopping for. And I'd sat on the steps and watch her do it all. When Mom had recovered from the shock, she ordered us both upstairs into the tub to bathe, put on our jammies, and go to bed without dinner. I protested all the way up the stairs that I was innocent while Reese wailed over how she had only wanted to do something nice for dessert.

Later, as we lay in bed, she in hers and me in mine, she whimpered and pleaded to join me as she normally would. I was in a foul mood for being punished for a crime I didn't commit and adamantly refused, but when she cried, "Please, Sissy! My tummy won't stop reminding me of those yummy pies and I can't sleep with it rumbling so loud," the sniffles and hitched breaths of a broken heart softened mine and I relented.

As she snuggled in next to me she told me that now she knew how Winnie the Pooh felt when his honey pot was empty. Then she asked me to sing her song.

I shifted my weight to lie down on the bed and hummed the tune to Reese's song to myself. It was there in our childhood bedroom, surrounded by unfamiliar furniture, that I finally forgave myself and my sister for all those years of loss and hurt. I forgave her for leaving me alone when she had always clung to me. I realized then that I'd been clinging to her, too. It was time to let her go, to say goodbye. I knew just the place I wanted to do that.

~oOo~

After collecting myself and I headed downstairs. The smell of cookies baking filled my nose when I entered the kitchen. We sat in her little dinning room and chatted over delicious chocolate chip cookies. She asked about my job and life back in Florida. I regaled her with stories of my friends and family. I told her about how I had been teaching music and loved it, but was now working with the Philharmonic temporarily. She was mildly impressed and it made me laugh. When I spoke about the offer of a year-long contract she said, "Well, that doesn't sound temporary." The woman sounded exactly like mother; she would have said the same thing. "What about your family and job back in Florida? What will you do about those?"

"Well, I could put the house on the market, or even just rent it out as a vacation home for the year."

"Is that something you're comfortable doing? It sounds like you love your life in Florida."

"I am, don't get me wrong, but I can't help wondering if I won't be missing the chance of a lifetime if I walk away from New York now. I feel like I've just gotten started there."

"It sounds to me like you have a tough choice to make, Sis." Hearing her use the endearment made my heart skip a beat. "You have two amazing opportunities, both are equally wonderful. That makes the decision even harder. I guess in the end you have to follow your heart, sweetie." And she was right. Coming here had shown me that. Now I needed listen so I knew what it was my heart desired.

With a baggie full of cookies, and a heart full of love for my new friend, Sissy, I climbed into the cab that I'd called to pick me up. The two "Sissy"s exchanged information and we promised to keep in touch. My next stop was the Peaceful Gardens Cemetery, where Reese was buried. I'd never been there before. I had been so badly injured in the accident that took Reese that I hadn't been able to attend the service. It was a year later that we moved to Florida, and in that time I was never brought to her grave. It took a little searching on my part, but I found her plot after visiting the office and the kind old man behind the desk was very helpful.

I approached her headstone, a beautiful heart-shaped pink granite. It looked like something Reese would have loved. The inscription had her full name with her birth and death dates. Under that were the words, "Rest, our beloved daughter and sister. You may not be with us, but you will forever be safe in the arms of our hearts. We will always love you." Emotions I'd been warring all day to keep under control welled up as I read it over and over. I'd never even seen a picture of her headstone, so it caught me completely off guard. It felt awkward not having any flowers to leave. I decided to call a local florist and have some delivered that afternoon. I settled for brushing the dust off the stone. I sat on the ground next to it and just waited. For what I wasn't sure.

Time passed unnoticed as I sat quietly remembering Reese. I wasn't really all that sad; to be honest I had a deep feeling of peace. I also didn't feel like Reese was there. I'd felt her more back at the Johns' than I did sitting at her grave. Hell, I felt her presence more back home in Florida!

I spent a few more moments sitting there. Thinking about the potential this child had, about the life that ended far too soon, and about how even though her years may have been few she still managed to change so many lives. Some of those people had never even met her.

Something in me shifted at that moment. For years I had seen Reese as the lark in the story from our childhood; free to soar while I was stuck rooted to the earth. Somewhere along the way that changed. It was my time to fly, and the first place I needed my new wings to take was New York City.

~oOo~

Later that night as I sat in bed reading a book about Lords of the Underworld (some books Allie had sent me and insisted I read) my phone chimed with a text from Edward.

Hey. When will you be back from your trip?

Hey yourself! Well, I was given through Sunday off, but I'm not sure I'm gonna stay that long. Why?

Cuz I was thinking about coming up for a visit, but I didn't want to be in the way.

What? My mind was screaming! Edward wanted to visit me? As in the next few days?

Um, well... let me call the airlines and see when I can get a flight back.

OK. Don't rush back on my account. I just thought I'd see when you were available. Wasn't sure you'd even want me to come.

Shut up! Are you kidding me? Of course I do!

Fine, fine! I was hoping to hear you perform while I was there, but since you're off I'll settle for a Broadway show.

Actually, I can probably sit on Saturday or Sunday if I can get back in time.

That would be awesome! Let me know about your flight so I can make my arrangements.

Will do.

JetBlue got me on an afternoon flight on Thursday. My director was more than happy to have me sit for the Sunday matinee performance. I decided to keep Saturday open to spend with Edward. His flight would get him in NYC on Friday night and we made plans to meet up and have dinner Friday after he checked into his hotel.

I sat in an airport in North Carolina, waiting for my connecting flight to JFK. I reached into my pocket and felt something crinkly there. I pulled out the fortune cookie from the sweet and sour chicken I'd had delivered the night before. Bored with my book, I unwrapped it and cracked it open. I popped the first half in my mouth and crunched the hell out of the orange-flavored, stale "cookie". As I chewed I read my fortune:

"On the road to life there are many paths. Sometimes you have to take the one you least expected to get to where you were always meant to be."

That cookie couldn't have been any more correct. My life's road had been far from what I'd always imagined. The twists and turns kept me guessing what was around each new bend. This trip was further proof of that.

Boarding for Flight 516 to JFK was called then. Dazed, I gathered my bag and my purse and climbed aboard a plane that would carry me to my future. The cookie even said so.

~oOo~

A/N: The story of the Lark and the Daisy is in CH18- Daisies & Dreams if you want to refresh your memory.

Edward's POV and visit to Bella is next. It was written as part of this chapter, but had over 8K of words to say, so he got his own chapter to say them. It will post within the next day or so. Then all we have left is the last chapter & epilogue.

Thank you for reading. ~Liz


	26. Concertos & Coffee Cups

**A/N:**Don't have a heart attack. You knew this was happening. Two chapters in a week isn't all THAT shocking is it? Well, get over it. Haha!

This chapter was written in one day. I'm not bragging per say, just trying to prove my dedication to completing this chapter. I barely ate or drank anything, didn't stop for finger rests, even wore adult diapers to avoid those pesky potty breaks. Now that's devotion. All kidding aside, the real devotion came from **Braburella** as she sat up with me through most of the night, as furiously wrote this chapter. Now comes the time when we give credit to my beta of mythical proportions, **TwilightMundi**. I swear that woman was a fairy godmother in another life; she can do magical things with Track Changes and red font.

I honestly have no clue how you people will react to this chapter. I would have thought that you loved the last one, but I had mixed reviews. Hell, I'm just happy you're still reading. So here's the chapter some of you said you've been waiting for. Hope it lives up to your expectations. If not then, as always, kindly direct all hate mail to **Barburella**. She has much thicker skin than I do and can take the abuse better. (It's been said that she's part dragon. I believe it, I've seen her spit fire at a NYC cabbie before. * Shudders *)

**Barbi****and****Liz****'****s****Road****Trip****Play****List:** "The Face"- KOL, "Reason To Hope"- Ron Pope, "Don't Leave Just Yet"- Need to Breathe, "Broken"- Seether, "Nothing Left To Lose"- Mat Kearney, "The Best I'll Ever Be"- Sister, "Just A Kiss"- Lady Antebellum,"The Promise"- Tracy Chapman, Hazel,

~oOo~

**Chapter 26 Concertos & Coffee Cups**

EPOV

Bella met me at the airport on Friday. I was so fucking nervous about seeing her I nearly puked when we landed. We had originally planned to meet at some Moroccan restaurant on 57th Street for dinner, but she surprised the shit out of me Friday morning when she texted me to say that she'd changed her mind. For a second I panicked and worried that she had changed her mind about me visiting her, but then she said she wanted to meet me at JFK. I had convinced myself that I'd have time to get my shit together at the hotel before seeing her at dinner. So when I saw her standing at the luggage carousel my breath caught in my throat. She was stunning in a short sundress and sweater- an outfit I would have thought was more fitting for Florida this time of year. I drank in the sight of her- from head to toe. Her hair was a little shorter than I remembered, but still long and beautiful. You'd think it had been three years since I saw her last, not three months. I smiled when I noticed the worn cowboy boots she had on.

She waved frantically trying to make sure I saw her standing there. As if I could've missed her! My nerves forgotten, I pulled her to me as soon as she was close enough. I picked her up and swung her around as we hugged. I was so fucking happy to see her! I didn't care who saw. Reluctantly I put her back on the ground and let her go.

"Hey," she breathed.

"Hey," was my brilliant reply.

"That was some greeting."

"What can I say, I missed you."

"Yeah, I noticed. I missed you, too." Those last three words, and her beautiful smile, melted my heart. That was what I had traveled 1,000 miles to hear. I could relax and enjoy the weekend we had together.

We caught a cab and Bella directed the driver to her apartment. I'd seen pictures from the now infamous "Girls' Weekend of 2011", but I was still amazed at how beautiful her building was. The Dakota was directly across from Central Park. I was greeted by an enthusiastic Mr. Darcy who seemed to remember me, and I was thankful that he seemed to remember our previous agreement to cease and desist with the crotch sniffage as well. Mini had sent a t-shirt that he'd slept in the last few nights when he heard I was going to visit Bella. He'd begged to come as well, even promised to wash and wax my bike for a month, but I told him that wasn't the best idea. There was pouting of epic proportions, but after I promised to let him come another time he straightened up. That's when he got the idea to send a shirt with his scent on it to Darcy, so mutt wouldn't forget him. Made perfect sense to the boy. I just shut my mouth and delivered the shirt. The beast took my offering without hesitation, traipsed over to his giant dog bed and curled up in a ball with his nose buried in the material.

"Okay, that has to be both the sweetest and the saddest thing I've ever seen," Bella cooed. The iPhone made an appearance; she took a picture and sent it to who I assumed was my son. The reply she read to me was, "I guess he made it there safely, then? Nice of him to text his only son and let me know this information. Guess I know where I fit on his list of priorities. Haha."

"Looks like someone's in big trouble with the little man," she teased. There was no reason for me to be in trouble! I may not have texted him, but I contacted my mother and let her know that I was safely on solid ground and to please relay the intel to my spawn. Knowing my mother, she mostly likely told him the second she got the message, so I didn't feel too guilty about not calling him. He was just showing off for Bella.

"Yeah, well, he better check himself before the long arm of the law smacks him upside the back of the head for being a smart ass," I warned. She laughed, a sound I'd missed since she'd left. It was rare that I got the opportunity to hear it even though we were talking again.

"Are we still planning to go eat at that Tasmanian place?" Again she laughed, and I thought I could die happy if that were the last sound I heard before I bit the big one.

"It's MOROCCAN, doofus, and yeah, I'm sure you must be starving. I know I am."

"I knew that. I just wanted to hear you laugh again," I admitted. That was safe, yet sweet. Not too revealing. "Its my second favorite sound." Okay, that was maybe a little too much information, because not only did she stop laughing but the smile that had graced her face slid off as well. She looked a little stunned, or was it pissed? I backtracked to safer conversation. "Well, then we'd better get going if we want to have time to drop my bags off at the hotel before hand."

"Um, about that... I can't have you staying in a hotel. Seriously, my inner southern belle would kill me. You're welcome to stay here if you'd like. But only if you feel comfortable."

Never in a millions years would I have even hoped, much less imagined that Bella would invite me to stay with her. In her apartment. We were doing well, but not that well. I must have hesitated too long because she blurted out, "Sorry. I didn't mean to presume. I just figured we could spend a little more time together if you stayed here, but you're probably right. It was a dumb idea. Forget I suggested it. Let's get going!"

Talk about being stunned. It took me a moment to catch up to her. "Wait, Bella... who's right? I don't remember saying anything!"

"You didn't, that's why I assumed you weren't entirely thrilled with the idea."

"Not true! I'm just trying to catch up! So... you're okay with me staying here? With you?"

"Of course, Edward. I wouldn't have suggested it otherwise. We're both grown ups, and I do have a guest room that you're welcome to stay in. It's up to you though."

I thought about it for a second before answering. "Well, I guess I could stay here-"

"Listen, buddy, don't do me any favors. I was only trying to be hospitable. It wasn't like I was offering you a naked massage. Never mind," Dejected, she grabbed the handle of my suitcase and started for the door, "let's just go so we can drop this off." She was obviously upset, but I was stuck on the part about a naked massage. "Are you coming, Edward?" She tossed over her shoulder as she strode towards the door.

I could be, I thought. "No! Stop, Bella!" I yelled a bit more frantically than the circumstance called for. "I mean, wait a second. Please." She clutched that rolley suitcase like it was remote controlled and might speed off at any given moment. "Give me my bag."

"No." Her chin lifted defiantly.

This was the point where things went from amusing miscommunication to complete and total insanity.

"What do you mean, 'no', woman? That's my luggage and I demand you let go of it!"

"NO!"

"Dammit, Bella! Give me the fucking suitcase so I can put it in the guestroom and we can go eat a nice dinner!" We were both acting ridiculous, and I had a feeling that we weren't fighting about the suitcase or where I was staying any longer.

"It's obvious you don't want to stay here, Edward, and I'd be the last person to make you do something you don't want to do. So get your ass in the elevator before I leave without you and you starve to death." I doubted I'd starve in a city that had pretzels or some sort of meat on a stick for sale every other block or so. An image of me lost in the wilds of Central Park with a full, scruffy beard, tattered clothes, and wasting away while surrounded by people eating falafel struck me as funny and I started laughing.

"What is so funny, Mr. Cullen?" Her tone reminded me of that day all those months ago when I first met her in her classroom for our parent-teacher conference. Recalling that day reminded me of other... activities we engaged in that afternoon. I pushed those thoughts away and grabbed the handle as well.

"You are. You're fucking hilarious. Now let go of my damn bag so we can go to dinner. I'm staying here." The caveman voice I used must have convinced her I was serious, because she said, "Fine," and let go of it like it was on fire. Bella stomped out into the hall and started mashing the hell out of the down button on for the elevator.

"Um, I think it got the message, Bella."

"Shut up, Edward. It's my elevator, I think I know how to use it," she snapped.

The doors slid open and once we were headed down she seethed, "You don't have to stay here if you don't want to, Edward."

Somehow our friendly visit had spiraled downward into a pit of misery, and I had just insisted on staying in the same apartment with this she-beast next to me. I knew I had to do something to put things back on track.

"Bella," Her back was to me, her arms folded protectively in front of her chest, and she stared intently at the "In case of emergency" sign. "Bella, look at me, please."

"I can't, Edward."

"You mean I came all this way and you won't even look at me?"

"I'm so embarrassed right now that if I look at you I'm going to burst into tears. Then you'll go upstairs, get your bag, and hop on the first flight back to Florida."

"Do you want me to leave?"

"NO! I mean, of course not! I want you here, Edward, I really do." A quiet, little sniffle escaped.

"Then look at me, B. Our emotions are all over the place. Let's just relax, okay? We have a lot to talk about, and not a lot of time. We can make the most of it, or I can get hell out of Dodge. I want to stay. What do you want?" She let me turn her to face me, but wouldn't look at me.

"I want you to stay."

"Then I'll stay." I gently rubbed her arms up and down, trying to maintain any type on connection with her. A deep sigh heaved through her body, releasing some of her built-up tension. I pulled her to my chest without thinking about it, and folded my arms around her. I was amazed at how perfectly she fit there. It was like I was realizing it for the first time. Her face was buried in my shirt.

"I'm sorry, Edward," I heard her murmur. Her words resonated through my sternum and settled in my heart. I knew she meant she was sorry for how she'd acted in her apartment, but I heard so much more that was unspoken in those three little words.

"I know, sweetheart. I am too." The door opened then and she stepped away, but she slid her arm through mine. I was hyper sensitive to where we were still connected. "Let's go eat some Bulgarian food. I'm starving."

"MOROCCAN, Edward." She jokingly smacked me. "Is that really so hard to remember?"

"Nah, I just like seeing you all feisty. I'm happy to look like a dork if it makes you smile like that." She rewarded my stupidity with another grin. And just that easily we were back to "us".

Dinner was great, the conversation was fantastic, and the company was... divine. Sitting across from her with just the span of the tiny tabletop between us, and a corny tea candle casting a faint glow on the scene was perfection.

"How are you doing here, Bella?" She glanced up at me, that candle highlighting my favorite features of her face, "I know you're happy, my sisters make sure I know exactly happy you are, but are you content?"

Bella leaned into me, trying to get closer, "I am happy here, Edward. This is an amazing life that I never imagined I'd have the opportunity to live. I get paid to share some of the most beautiful music man has ever composed. I think I might do this for free if they asked me to. But don't tell them that." Another candlelit grin. A comfortable silence settled between us. She reached for my hand and rather then hold it, she drew patterns along the back of it. It was the first contact she'd initiated between us since I'd arrived and it was heavenly. The design must have required her close attention, because she didn't look up when she spoke next.

"How's Masen? Man, I miss that kid." I watched her closely. A single tear slipped down her cheek, but she didn't act like she even noticed; she made no effort to brush it away.

"He misses you, too. Fiercely. Your texts and Skype dates have helped." She simply nodded so I continued. "You know, right after you left he taught himself how to play 'Somewhere Out There'. Looked up the sheet music online and taught himself to play it. He said it helped him miss you a little less. I think it just distracted him so he thought that he did, but I know he still pines for you." That got her to look up at me. When she saw me smiling she offered me a small grin in return.

"Well, I am pretty amazing," she deadpanned.

"Entirely pine-worthy," I agreed, still smiling.

After a few moments she asked, "How are you, Edward? I know we're making a huge effort here, and you being here speaks volumes, but how are you?"

I took a deep breath. I wanted to honest, but fair. "I'm okay, B." She looked like she didn't believe me. "No, really, I am. I miss you. I miss us, but I'm okay. I was a mess for a long time. It was bad there at first. I was depressed and a miserable ass to be around, but I was lucky that I had Mini to keep me from becoming too self-destructive. Otherwise who knows how bad it might have gotten. I knew he needed me."

She was crying again, silently, but several tears streaked her face. This time I reached up to brush them away. I didn't want her to feel guilty about doing what she needed to. I'd spent the last several months scripting our reunion; picturing this exact moment when I would have the chance to tell her exactly how she had destroyed all of us. Then watch as she crumbled under the weight of the responsibility. But as the woman I once loved with abandon sat across from me, hurting, I felt no retribution in that moment. All I wanted right then was to take that hurt away.

"Bella, don't cry, love. I'm not telling you this to upset you. You asked and I want to be honest with you, because that's the only way we're gonna work through this. I came here for a reason. I love you. I always will, but our lives are in different places right now. It was only very recently that I was able to accept this. I realized that, regardless of where you and I end up, Mini needs you in his life, and I've seen how much you love and need him. So, we have to get past this block and be there for Mini." I couldn't remember a time when I'd heard Bella be quiet for so long, except for maybe when she was sleeping. Even then she talked in her sleep.

"I'd like to be a part of both your lives, Edward, but..." Her hesitation had my heart in my throat. All that yummy Moroccan food threatened to make a second appearance.

"But, what, Bella."

"But... I need to be straightforward with you too, Edward. Last week the symphony offered me a year-long contract. That's why I went back to Arizona, to see if I could clear my head and think."

I'd kinda thought something like this might happen, but it still caught me off guard.

"So, what did you decide?" I really wanted to know her decision, but at the same time didn't.

"I didn't decide anything yet. I decided to wait until I saw you to make up my mind, but I didn't want you to come all this way and not tell you what's going on."

"I appreciate that, really I do. Tell me what you want to do."

"I want to do what's best. I want to be a part of Mini's and your lives. I want to contribute to the music community in some way, I want to continue to perform. I kinda want it all, and if the last three months have taught me nothing else, they've taught me that's very selfish of me. The people I love deserve better."

"You really have no clue what you'll decide?" She had to have some inkling.

"Nope. One minute I'm ready to call my director and re-sign, the next I'm tossing shit into boxes to come home. I'm a mess."

"Well, I don't see why you have to decide tonight. Or this weekend even. Let's just enjoy this time together and see what happens. We've been pretty good about finding our way so far, right?"

"Up until about three months ago, yeah," she agreed.

"Then I say we stick with what works. The right decision will present itself."

"You really think that?" She was amazed. Hell, so was I. Who was this emotionally evolved Edward?

After many beats of silence she laughed, "Wow, that was very mature of us. Especially considering the parade of pettiness we displayed earlier."

"Yeah, I guess this is the conversation we should've had three months ago, huh? Might have saved us all a lot of heartache."

"Maybe you're right, but I read somewhere once that the road of life has many paths. Sometimes you've got to take the one you least expected, to get to where you were always meant to be."

"So true, Bella. That is so very true."

We went back to her apartment for the night, and after watching some rented movie I barely paid attention to, she went to her room and I went to mine. I stared up at the ceiling trying to wind down enough to get some sleep. I replayed the day in my head. With the exception of the little flip out in her apartment, we'd had a wonderful evening together. It had been more difficult than I thought it would be to resist the urge to fall back into the easy, familiar way of handling her anytime I wanted to. Several times I caught myself reaching out to take her hand in mine as we walked or wrap my arm around her shoulders and snuggle her to me in the cab or on the couch. And when I told her good night it was actually painful to not lean in and kiss her. I was drawn to this woman, and not just on a physical level. From the first moment I met her I'd felt the pull. A force that came from deep inside pulling me towards her. Hell, even with 1,000 miles between us I'd still felt it.

The past weeks of texts, calls, and emails had begun a healing for us, our communication helping us to forge new paths in our friendship. I'll admit I was a little disappointed when Bella told me that she was considering the year with the symphony, but I wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. Besides, we weren't together anymore, she didn't need to ask my opinion on the matter. That didn't stop me from wanting to give it to her. And my opinion was that I wanted her. Still. I wanted her home with Mini and me where she belonged. As I drifted to sleep I was resolved to remind Bella exactly what was waiting for her in Florida. I swore she'd be packing before I left on Sunday.

~oOo~

The next morning I woke up to a bright room and the heavenly scent of bacon frying. I threw back the covers and padded out to investigate the situation. Bella stood at the stove tending to several pans at once. Next to her sat Darcy at the ready like a sentinel guard. He loved bacon just as much as the rest of us. I took a seat on a stool and watched as she plated eggs, grits, and a few fresh biscuits. Then she crowned the entire plate with bacon.

"Looks fantastic," I praised.

My voice startled her, and she jumped and let out a little yelp.

"Thank you," she breathed. She took my compliment to be for the food, and it was, but I couldn't help but be moved by the image of her standing there in a short, silky kimono robe. Her long legs bare, begging for me to touch them. The tie at her waist perfectly outlined her beautiful form, accentuating the curve of her ass. The "v" in the front falling open just enough that I could see the swell of her breasts. Her hair was messy and reminded me of how she'd wake up next to me with that hair splayed on the pillow. I wasn't entirely sure if it was my stomach or my libido that growled, but a loud rumbling broke the silence and the lusty trance I was caught up in.

"I thought you were still sleeping!" she cried.

"Who can sleep with all of this going on out here?" Who, indeed. I shifted uncomfortably on the stool, hoping to hide the effect she obviously still had on me.

"Well, I was going to serve you breakfast in bed, but since you're up-"

"Oh, give me a second, make that half a second. I can be back in bed lickedy-split."

"Stop. Sit back down and eat."

I obeyed, begrudgingly. Then I mentally whipped myself with every bite over how I could be in bed, possibly with Bella and bacon, at this very moment if it hadn't been for my over inquisitive mind.

"Once you're fed and changed we can head out into the city. I thought we might see a show or just walk around. Maybe go to a museum? I could take you to Lincoln Center, but we'll be there tomorrow. Hmmmm... we could take D to the park. He loves that!

"Honestly, I just want to be with you. I've been to New York plenty of times, you don't need to play tour guide. Let's just do what you'd normally do on a Saturday. Sound okay?"

We ended up in the park with the pooch, and it was a fantastic day. We must have seen nearly every part of Central Park. We walked all over, talking and enjoying being in each other's company. At some point we got hot dogs from a vendor and sat in the shade to enjoy our lunch. Afterwards, we stretched out on the grass and were soon lulled to sleep by the breeze. I woke up a short time later, confused about where I was. Bella's head rested on my stomach, her hair across my chest, and Darcy mimicked her posture: sprawled out on his back, his head on her stomach, a not so quiet snore sawing from him with each breath. Content that we were right where we needed to be I settled down again, but not before I snapped a picture of the two sleeping beauties and sent it to Masen.

Later we got dressed and went to a jazz club downtown. This time, I didn't hesitate to pull her to me when we were in the back of the cab or while we sat listening to some of the best live jazz I'd ever heard.

Off and on throughout the day we'd talk about what we wanted from life, where we saw our lives in five or so years. Our answers were surprisingly similar. I told Bella about Jess and kicking her out our lives forever. She celebrated with high fives and cheers of "Hell yeah"s. She talked about how she enjoyed living in the city, and could see herself being there permanently. She grumbled about missing the convenience of having a car, and not having the people she loved the most close by.

All in all it was a great day. The best day I'd had in a very long time.

That night we again maintained separate rooms, but as I closed my door I heard her call my name, "Edward?"

"Yes, love."

"Thanks for a beautiful day." I walked out to where she stood in the hall.

"Thank you, beautiful. It was wonderful." The tension between us hummed. My hands itched to reach out and grab a hold of her, my lips tingled with the need to feel the softness of hers.

"I can't wait for you to see me perform tomorrow," she whispered, desperate to fill the silence. As much as I wanted to sweep this woman off her feet and remind her once again that she was mine, I knew that she- no, we- weren't ready yet. But I had to touch her. She willingly let me pull her close and hold her. She sighed when we connected, like she could finally get a good deep breath. I knew how she felt. When I held her, it felt like a weight that had been anchored just under my chest was lifted. We stood there just like that, hugging in the hall. Neither one of us rushed off or made excuses to bow out, we just took in how right it felt as we hugged. Eventually I heard Bella say that she needed to get to bed or she was going to end up sleeping standing up in the hallway.

"Go to bed, Bella. Sweet dreams." Letting her go was the last thing I wanted to do. But I did.

"Sweet dreams, Edward," she whispered. I watched her slip into her room, mindful of the fact that I'd be heading back to Florida this time tomorrow.

~oOo~

I was more than a little disappointed when I woke up the next morning to a freshly showered, fully dressed Bella- and a serious lack of hot bacon. I'd dreamt all night of finding her there in the kitchen just as I had yesterday, but then doing all the things I knew I shouldn't to her. She looked stunning in a pair of jeans that were almost as sinful as the robe she'd had on the day before. The morning's coffee held her attention, affording me the opportunity to ogle her assets.

"See something you like?"

Without taking my eyes off said assets I replied, "Yeah, that coffee looks amazing." She laughed and passed me a mug fixed exactly the way liked it. "Come to papa, handsome, I've been dreaming all morning of the things I want to do to you. Rawr." I confessed to the mug, although it was Bella I'd been dreaming of.

"Should I leave you two alone? I'm sure I could find something to occupy myself while you 'take care of business'." Just hearing those words fall from Bella's lips had me picturing the care I would take with said business- Bella being my favorite kind of business.

"Nah, we don't mind an audience. Feel free to watch me enjoy every. Last. Drop." I licked the rim of the mug for emphasis.

A kitchen towel flew at me, hitting me in the head before I could duck out of the way. "You're incorrigible, Edward! Stop rimming my favorite mug and go get dressed. We're going out for breakfast."

The diner around the corner was good. Not "Bella in a bathrobe" good, but good. We were able to take Darcy along and eat out on the patio. Afterwards, we did a little window shopping before heading back to her apartment so she could get ready for her two o'clock performance. I relished each moment of having her at my side. I didn't think twice about reaching down and holding her hand as we walked. Bella didn't seem to mind it either.

I offered to make us lunch; I threw together some sandwiches and a couple of small salads. Nothing too difficult.

"You leave tonight," she announced. I wasn't sure which one of us she was reminding.

"Yeah, I'm going to pack up while you're getting dressed so I'm not rushing after the performance."

"Good idea. What time is your flight again?"

"Eight-oh-five, so we should have a little time together before I have to go." I took her hand, it was comforting to feel the connection we had while we talked about our impending separation.

"Maybe we could do an early dinner, then come back here to grab your stuff and I'll ride with you to JFK."

"That sounds good, but I don't want you to have to come back here to an empty apartment alone."

"Edward," she chuckled, "I'll be fine. I do this all the time. Stop worrying so much. You can be such a dad sometimes." She teased and squeezed my hand.

"Maybe, but it's just because I care." I wanted to tell her how much I cared. That I wanted us both to be on the plane at eight-oh-five. That I wanted to bring the best souvenir ever home to Mini- her. I wanted her. I wanted us. "I'm going to miss you," I blurted out. "What are we going to do, Bella? I need you in my life, in my son's life, but I suck at this long distance thing. I don't think I can do it, B." I hated admitting my weakness to her, but I hated not having her know that I wanted her.

"I've got news for you, Edwardo, you don't suck as hard as you think you do."

"What?"

"For weeks now you've been 'doing' the long distance thing, and doing it beautifully." That was news to me, at the most I was eavesdropping on Skype conversations between her and Mini and sending her the occasional text. "We've been communicating, Edward. That is what it takes for a long distance relationship to work, and you've been doing that very well. Both parties just have to be willing to put forth the effort to connect and be a part of each other's lives."

"I can't stand the thought of being this far away from you, though. I kills me not knowing when I'm going to see you again. That's the part that worries me the most."

"We can plan times to see each other, Edward. The fact that you came up here on a whim to visit? That makes long distance relationships easier, but it isn't necessary. We could easily work out a schedule for visiting back and forth. I know Mini is dying to come up here."

"I think he would have smuggled himself in my luggage if he could have figured out a way to zip it up from the inside." The truth in that statement had us laughing.

Bella took a sip of her water and asked, "So, what's next? Where do we go from here?"

I asked her the question that would change everything, "What do you want, Bella? Why did you leave?" She took a moment before answering me.

"I left because... I had the chance to do something I had always wanted to do, but never dreamed I'd get. I left because the part of me I trust to make decisions felt that this opportunity was one that would never come again. I never imagined for a second that you'd turn away from me because of it. I want us to try. I want us to see if what we have is as strong as we think it is. I want you and your son, but I don't want to have to choose between the three loves of my life."

I realized then how difficult it had been for Bella to make that choice, one that I had forced her to make. I was wrong to have expected her to give up something that she loved- be that the music or Mini and me. I know that all love requires sacrifice, but it doesn't require that we sacrifice who we are to prove that love. I had asked her to give up her life for mine, and that was wrong.

"I understand that now Bella, and I'm sorry. I was desperate to keep us together, and all I could see was us falling apart if you left and how much that would hurt Masen. I overreacted, as usual, but I was just doing what I thought was best."

"It's okay, Edward. I get it. Part of your decision was a call you had to make as a parent. You thought were protecting Masen, but I think you were protecting yourself as well."

"I was." It was the truth, and it hung in the air between us. I had accused her of being selfish, when it had really been my selfishness that had pushed her away.

"Edward, Edward, Edward," she shook her head at me. "What am I going to do with you?" she teased.

"Forgive me? Love me?" I busted out the puppy dog eyes, not willing to chance her responding, "Hell no!"

Looking me with eyes filled with tenderness she answered, "I forgave you months ago, and I do love you."

"I love you too, Bella." She stood up, forcing me to stand as well, and then I watched as her face slowly drew closer to my own. Everything around us faded away when her lips brushed whisper soft against mine. The warmth of her breath caressed my skin, and for a brief moment it was just the two of us. Surrendering to the heaven before me, I wrapped her in my arms and she instantly relaxed against me. The kiss was gentle, and sweet. It spoke of our love and our apologies, our forgiveness and renewed commitment to try again.

I held onto her long after our kiss ended, not willing to relinquish the warmth that flowed through me because she was near. Countless times I had wished to be able to touch her like this again, and now that it was a reality I wasn't ready for it to end. Her phone buzzed on the table reminding her that she had to get ready for work.

"So, now what?" she asked. The woman I loved trusted me to lead us, even when I'd screwed up so badly last time.

"Well, I think this is where you say 'what performance?' and let me take you to bed and have the best round of make up sex the world has ever seen." I was only half joking.

"Ha. Ha. Edward. I thought you wanted to see me perform?"

"Ah, but I do! I just think we have different ideas about what constitutes a performance."

"Ugh," she rolled her eyes in exasperation. "No sex, Edward. I'm going to work and you're coming."

"Not if there's 'no sex', I'm not. Why does this conversation feel familiar?" I scratched my chin as I contemplated where I'd heard this before.

"One word: Sexbargo." Bella was beautiful with her lips fuller from our kiss and her hands on her hips defying the pull of my love beam.

"What the hell is a love beam, Edward?"

I hadn't intended broadcast those thoughts out into the world. Oops.

"That would be the irresistible pull you have towards me."

"Ahhh. See, I thought that feeling was indigestion. How about turning that thing down a little? I'm feeling a little queasy."

I gasped in a show of pretend shock, "Stuff it, Swan, but back to your very serious question- I think it depends on what you decide about signing that contract."

"And if I do sign?" Her voice was tentative, like she was nervous to ask.

"The we should try to do this." I motioned to the small space between us. That must have been the right answer because she smiled and hugged my waist.

"Alright. How does this sound," she spoke into my shirt, "In two weeks I have a short break coming up; the entire symphony gets a little hiatus. I planned to come home, see everyone, and check in on the home front. We can talk more then, and I promise I'll have an answer for you by then."

It sounded like a reasonable plan to me, so I agreed to it. I was already feeling a little better about leaving her knowing I'd see her in a few weeks' time.

"Go! I release you from the love beam. Go get dressed before I undress you myself." I swatted her ass as she strutted away. The sound of her laugh followed me back into my room where I began packing to return home.

~oOo~

The entire orchestra was seated on the stage and warming up while a sea of people hurried to their seats. All but Bella. The house lights went down, and a hush fell over the crowd. I tucked my program between my thigh and the side of the seat. I wanted my hands free to clap till they bled. The crowd erupted in applause when the conductor strutted out to stand on his box. After a brief bow he raised his baton. At that signal, the first notes of the evening played.

After several pieces, he stepped down and walked off stage. When he returned he was escorting Bella. She was stunning in a floor-length burgundy gown that reminded me of a finely aged Merlot. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Seeing that she was safely seated at her bench, the conductor once again took his place on his box.

At his command Bella began to play. It was Mozart like I had never heard him. She was stunning and captivating. It was almost like I was watching someone else up there.

As I sat in my seat, watching her enchant the entire audience, I realized something important. It both thrilled and broke me: she belonged up there. Bella was meant to be on that stage. There was no way I could ask her to come back, but after this weekend there was no way that I was going to live the rest of my life without her either. I made a decision as I sat in Avery Fisher hall, and while my track record for making decisions was shit lately, I had a feeling this wouldn't be one that I'd regret.

~oOo~

We had an early dinner at Le Bernardin, where I couldn't keep my hands off of Bella. Not in a pervy, groping way, although I wouldn't have minded that. After seeing her perform it was like I needed the physical contact to remind me that she was real, still my Bella. So, throughout dinner I touched her whenever I could. Her hands, her bare arms, brushed the stray hair from her face. When we walked my arm was wound around her waist. I loved the feel of her dress under my hand as it slid along her skin when she moved. She had changed into something much less formal, but no less stunning.

As much as I was enjoying being able to touch Bella, her hands on me were just as exciting. She seemed to take a cue from my handsy-ness. She, too, sought out points of contact between us whenever she could, and it was driving me crazy. Little jolts of electricity would zap me each time her skin touched mine. We were both on edge by the time we made it back to her apartment to change and get me to the airport.

"You were amazing today, Bella. I'm still trying to take it all in," I admitted to her on the elevator ride up.

"You've said that about twenty times already, Cullen. I think you need new material." The smirk on her lips mirrored the glimmer in her eyes.

"Well, I feel like I have a lot of time to make up for." I felt the need to be closer to her so I drew her into my side.

"Please, don't," she asked quietly, and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Don't what, love?"

"Don't go trying to make up for the time we've been apart. I've come to accept that it was a necessary evil. Especially now, but it won't help anything, so let's agree to learn from our mistakes and move forward rather than looking back. Okay?"

The elevator opened then, depositing us on her floor. "Okay. You've got a deal."

I guided us to her apartment. "I'm not ready to leave," I confessed as we walked in.

"I know what you mean. It's going to feel kind of empty without you here."

"I bet this place was like a tomb after my mom and sisters left. I have no clue how you all fit in here."

"We're girls, Edward, we made it work, and it was a joy to have them. I can't wait for them to come back."

"Really?" I watched as she moved around the room, straightening up while we talked.

"Of course! And I want Mini to come, too."

"I'm sure he'd love that," she was making all kinds of plans for my family to visit, but not saying much about when I might be able to come back. That didn't sit well with me. I crossed the few steps it took to reach her. She was fluffing pillows or some crap, and I wanted her full attention. I was only going to be with her for a little longer. She could clean after I left, dammit. I spun her around to face me, "What about me, Bella? When can I come back?"

Caught off guard, she stammered, "Um, well... I'll be in Florida in two weeks, I thought we'd decide then."

"That's fine, I just wanted to be sure I had an invitation like everyone else." I really wanted an invitation, a personal invitation. Maybe an engraved "Visit Bella at any time" pass. I also really wanted to feel more of her skin. I decided to turn the "love beam" on.

"Edward, you can visit me as much and whenever you please. Consider this your open invitation." Well, it wasn't engraved, but it would do for an invitation. I moved closer to her, invading her personal space, forcing her to take a few steps back. She turned and went in the kitchen, "Would you like a beer before you change?"

"Yeah, thanks, and I assure you that I'll be taking you up on the offer."

"Glad to hear tha-"

She turned from the fridge with two beers and I was right behind her. I took them from her, opened them and handed hers back to her. She took a long pull from the bottle, and I watched, mesmerized, as her lips formed around the neck of the bottle. Instantly my mind reminded me of other places she'd had those lips. It was an innocent drink, but I was in another dimension. In the time it took for her to take a sip of beer my mind had transported me to "The Porny Zone", where every woman loves to give head and is a pro at doing it.

"You don't think you'll get sick of me flying up here every chance I get?"

"Not a chance."

"Hmmmm, okay, but now that I've been here, and we've established that I'll be visiting often, I wonder what we could possibly do to occupy ourselves when I turn up at your door."

"New York's a big city, Edward, I'm sure we'll find something to do."

I wasn't sure at this point if she was pulling my leg and playing dumb, or if she really wasn't clear what I was hinting at. I tried being more blunt.

"What about here, in your apartment. What if it's raining or something? What would we do then? I really hate to be bored, Bella. Especially if I'm going to come all this way."

Bella just looked at me like I had two heads and both were speaking foreign languages. I was so off my game, and just when I was about to give up I remembered that I'd turn the "love beam" down to low at Bella's request! I mentally jacked the fucker up and decided that I wasn't getting anywhere playing coy, and the poor bush was getting beat to death. So, I went with direct and to the point.

With renewed determination, and the "love beam" set to "stun" I pressed her back against the counter without warning, taking the beer from her hand. I wanted her hands free of distractions. "Touch me, Bella."

"Huh? Excuse me, Edward?" I rejoiced inwardly that the beam had indeed been the problem.

"Put your hands on me. Somewhere, anywhere, just touch me."

Her hands splayed out and she placed her hands over my chest. "Oh, come on, Bella you can be more creative than that," then I added right against her ear, "In fact, I know exactly how creative those hands can be. Show. Me."

Wide-eyed and clearly stunned (Love Beam-1, Bella-0), she slowly raked her hands down my chest and over my abs. The sensation of her nails scratching me through my shirt sent electric shocks through my nervous system. I closed my eyes and let myself get lost in the feeling. When I opened them Bella was watching me with eyes dark with need. Finally, I thought, she's catching on!

"Edward? Am I restricted to only using my hands?" Wh- what? (Love Beam-1, Bella-1)

"Feel free to use any and every part of you. The more the better. What did you have in mind?" Tell me, my mind was screaming.

"I'd rather show you." Again I'd unknowingly blurted out something I was thinking, and now the score was Love Beam-1, Bella-2.

With all the confidence I knew she possessed, Bella reached around, grabbing my ass, and tugging me against her so that all of her was pressed against all of me. I groaned at the contact, and the little vixen claimed it with a kiss. Score: Love Beam-1, Bella-2,490. I declared her the official winner and gave up counting. I drowned my sorrows over the embarrassing loss in her kiss, deepening it and claiming her victory as my own. Desperate to feel more of her, I pressed my thigh between her legs and ground against her.

"Edward," she moaned.

God, I loved it when she said my name that way. If her laugh was my second favorite sound, her crying out my name was the first. I was ready and willing to whatever it took to hear it again and again. Preferably in rapid succession and at high volumes. I continued to rub against her knowing the delicious friction would soon erupt into a full-fledged fire. At least that was my hope.

Bella's hands tugged at my scalp, using fistfuls of my hair to direct my mouth where she most wanted it. Panting and urging me on. Just as I was about to pay special attention to two of my favorite twin parts of her, an annoying alarm sounded from somewhere close by. I tried to ignore it and continue with reacquainting myself with Bella's assets. That's when I remembered where I'd heard that sound before. It was Bella's reminder alert.

"Baby, your phone," I murmured. It was very difficult to talk with Bella's tongue in my mouth, but she was too wrapped up in what we were doing to even care about the stupid phone. So, I reached behind her and fished it from her back pocket, careful to not break our kiss, and tried to see what the thing was squawking about. A message flashed on the screen: "Leave in 20min to take E to JFK." Damn her and her thoughtful ways. Reluctantly I broke the kiss.

"Baby, your phone says we have twenty minutes before we have to leave. While I would love nothing more than to see this thing we've got going through to its natural end, we don't have enough time."

"Twenty minutes is plenty of time. We've done it in half that time," she reminded me and renewed her quest to drive me crazy with the things she was doing to me with her mouth.

"Yes, while that is very true, it has been a long time since we were together, and I really don't want our first time together, again, to be remembered as the time I 'came in under twenty.' Know what I mean?"

"Nope, all I hear is, 'Blah, blah, blah, baby... blah, blah, came... blah, blah, blah.' Shut up and put out."

I'd begun to wonder what was so important that I needed to catch a flight home for anyway. Then remembered that I had a huge meeting with a big-wig corporation on Monday. They wanted us to design a custom bike for their CEO who was retiring. Whatever happened to handing out gold pocket watches?

With every fiber of my being I summoned all the strength I had and forced us apart. I took a few deep breaths, willing my resolve to hold out.

"Bella, we have to- god help me with what I'm about to suggest- Bella, we have to stop. I'm sorry, baby, but I have to be on that plane." I pressed my forehead to hers and kissed her once more. We stood that way for a few moments catching our breath and willing our hearts to slow down.

It was a little easier to get a hold of ourselves with a modicum of space between us. Once the blood started to flow back to the vital parts of my body, namely my brain, I remembered a very important detail that I have somehow overlooked.

"Oh, shit."

"What's wrong?" the worry in her voice overtook the lust that had been there just moments ago.

"I forgot to buy something to bring back for Mini, and now there's no time to stop and get anything." I was a terrible father. I was a couple of hours out from catching a flight home, and rather than looking forward to seeing my son I was cursing the fact that I wouldn't be seeing more of my girlfriend instead.

She glanced around the apartment. A quick trip to the kitchen and back had her shoving something in my hand, "Take this and give it to him. He'll love it." It was a very familiar looking coffee mug that I had done dirty, unmentionable things to earlier. "I heart NY" was printed on the side. Bella recognized the deviant look on my face, "Think of it as a souvenir for both of you. I know how much you liked that mug. You two have history together."

"I guess we do, I've done things to this mug that I've never done to a living soul." I waggled my eyebrows suggestively at her.

"Good to know, babe. Now switch the 'Love Beam' back to low and go get ready. We have to leave in fifteen minutes to get you to the airport.

And while I knew it was going to take everything I possessed to get on that jet and leave her, it helped knowing that in two short weeks I'd have her by my side. Hopefully by that time I would have everything I needed in order to make sure I'd never have to leave her again.

**~oOo~**

A/N: The next chapter will be the last followed by an epilouge. We're coming to the end of our journey together. Thank you again for reading! Each of you have made this ride worth taking. Harleys to each of you!


	27. Tattoos & Tiramisu

**A/N:**_Thank__you__to__**TwilightMundi**__.__She__is__the__Word__Whisperer,__and__I__am__honored__that,__chapter__after__chapter,__she__has__graciously__deleted__countless__comas,__apostrophes,__and__other__grammatical__atrocities__I__cannot__bear__to__mention.__I__don__'__t__deserve__you.__You__are__a__wonderful__lady__and__I__am__a__better__person__for__knowing__you._

_**Barburella**__and__**KatBlack24**__,__this__fic__is__as__much__yours__as__it__is__mine.__Your__support__and__guidance__has__been__overwhelming,__but__even__more__overwhelming__has__been__your__love__and__friendship.__Thank__you__isn__'__t__enough__,__so__I__say__ "_Je t'aime_.__"_

_There have been a few people who have irrevocably changed my life, and this little fic was the catalyst for our meeting. I'd love to list all of the amazing people who have supported and encouraged me as I wrote this, but you are too many to list. This fact humbles me and has me tearing up. I may not be able to write your name here, but it is in my heart. You know who you are. Thank you._

Barbi and Liz's Road Trip Play List: "Draw Me A Map"- Dierks Bentley, "I Won't Look Back"- NeedToBreathe, "Breathe (2A.M.)"-Anna Nalick, "Many The Miles" and "In Your Eyes"- Sara Bareillis, "Beautiful Maybe"- Marlee Scott, "The Promise"- Tracy Chapman, "Forever"- Ben Harper

~oOo~

Chapter 26- Tattoos and Tiramisu

BPOV

I sat on the floor of my room surrounded by half filled boxes; moaning to the walls about how much I detested the moving process. Looking around at how much work I still had ahead of me made me want to say to hell with everything and head across the street to the beach. I knew I wouldn't have much time left to enjoy it with all I had to do in order to get ready for the upcoming move. Darcy laid on his bed in the corner following every move I made with his eyes. Chaucer snoozed lazily in the center of my giant bed that I hadn't realized how much I'd missed until the night before when I'd slept in it for the first time in three months.

Deciding my furry friends had the right idea, I hopped up and headed downstairs for a quick break. Darce was hot on my heels, and I grabbed his leash and my phone. I slid on my hoodie, remembering the cool breeze coming in off the water, and tucked the phone in the pocket.

"Ready, buddy? Let's blow this joint!" The mutt's tail thumped eagerly against my leg, but he waited patiently for me to snap the lead onto his collar. We headed out once he was properly outfitted, and he paused by the stairs to pluck his favorite throwing disk out of the toy basket. "Great idea! You can burn off some of that pent up energy. Maybe then we can get some work done."

Time often slips away from me when I get my toes in the sand, and this time wasn't any different. I was shocked to realize we'd been down there for almost two hours when my phone rang.

"Hey."

"Hey," I couldn't help the smile that pulled at my face at the sound of his voice.

"What 'cha doing?" I could hear sounds of the shop in the background. He was obviously still at Eclipse working.

"Darcy convinced me to spend a little time at the beach."

"Is that so?" Edward didn't sound entirely convinced the beach had been Darcy's idea.

"Yeah, well, it didn't take much to convince me," I confessed.

"It rarely does when it comes to anything concerning the beach or that beast."

"Why, Edward, are you jealous? Of my dog?" It was always fun to tease that man.

"Not in the least. I'm jealous that you're out on the beach while I'm stuck in the shop with a bunch of greasy dudes." The yearning in his voice was almost tangible.

"I hear you, sweetie. An oiled up Emmett might be Rose's idea of a dream come true, but that's not something I care to spend day in and day out with. Ick." It could have been the gust of wind that chose that moment to blow my away that sent shivers down my spine or the visual of Emmett oiled up. The man was good looking, but that wasn't a show I ever wanted a front row seat to.

"I wish I could join you, but it's gonna be a while before we wrap up here. I had kinda hoped I'd be able to close shop a little early and finally head over. I can't believe you've been home a whole day and I haven't seen you yet!" My parents had met my flight, which landed around nine the night before. Between getting myself, the animals, and our luggage home and my overly attentive parents out the door it had been way too late for visitors of any kind. Smexy or otherwise. I was beyond exhausted. So it was decided that we'd see each other for dinner the next night. That didn't stop me from wanting to see him throughout the rest of the day, though.

"I know. I lost count of the number of times I started to get on Janice and ride over to Eclipse."

"You should have," I could hear the disappointment in his voice.

"You're probably right, but I just have so much to do and not a lot of time to get it all finished. I'm sorry, sweetie."

"Yeah, two weeks isn't as long as it sounds when you have every moment planned out."

"Hey, now! I don't have every moment planned out! This impromptu field trip is proof of that."

"And don't take this the wrong way, but you could have come down to visit me rather than the beach." Ouch. He'd made a very good point. Duly chastened, I struggled for a way to make my blunder up to him.

"You're right, Edward. I probably should have come down there. This was supposed to be a quick romp on the beach and then back to work, but we got caught up in the moment. I really am sorry, sweetie. Forgive me if I promise to make it up to you tonight?" I turned on the charm hoping to smooth things over. I figured I was going to need all the charm I could muster when we had our little heart to heart later.

"What did you have in mind?" His male interest was clearly piqued. I had a feeling that wasn't all that was "peaked".

"Well, I figured we could start with your favorite dinner-"

"Ugh... you mean your lasagna, right? Please say you mean your lasagna." I could practically hear him drooling through the phone. It was a good thing I could answer the man with an affirmative and put him out of his misery. Otherwise I would have been making a last minute run to the supermarket.

"Anyway, like I was saying before I was rudely interrupted by your panting and pleading, we'll start with your favorite dinner of MY lasagna paired with a lovely bottle of Pinot Grigio." He refrained from interrupting again but a chorus of appreciative hums flowed across the line. "Then I figured we could relax by a fire while we let dinner settle before starting on the tiramisu I made earlier."

"Shut up! You made tiramisu?" I had to hold the phone away from my ear to avoid being deafened. Darcy, who had parked himself patiently at my feet waiting for me to throw the disk for him, even cocked his head at a wonky angle.

"Sure did. Maybe that's when I'll offer to give you a back massage, and if I'm in really big trouble I'd be willing to offer a-

"Don't say it, Bella. Just... don't. I'll blow my load right here if you say it!" His voice was still squeaky, but much quieter.

"Wow, Edward, I never realized what a fan you were of the foot massage." I deadpanned. It took a moment for him to catch up. His mind was still trying to pick itself up off the floor at the thought of possible fellatio. He was such a guy sometimes.

"Uh, foot massage? Is that what you just said?"

"Yeah, doesn't that sound nice? Me, rubbing your feet, kneading, and pulling the tense muscles, working soothing lotion into the sensitive flesh of your instep. Ugh, sounds wonderful to me!"

"Bella. Are we talking about an actual foot massage right now?"

"Yes..."

"This is not an euphemism for something else entirely less wholesome?"

"No. Wait, did you think it was code for something else?" The disbelief in my voice had him scrambling for an acceptable, non-offensive response.

"I thought maybe it could have possibly been."

"Of course you did," patronizing couldn't begin to describe my tone.

"Come on, baby, you can't blame a guy for trying."

"No, I guess not." He was quiet for a few heartbeats before speaking again. Probably trying to will his willie to stand down.

"But, just so we're clear when you offer me a 'foot massage' later, you simply mean that you'll give me a foot massage, right?"

"Correct, you're a fast learner, Dr. Cullen."

"Shut it. On that note I have to get back to work. I have a hot date with a foot masseuse later and I can't be late."

That made me laugh, I reminded him to be at my place at eight and that I'd have dinner ready and waiting. He assured me he wouldn't be late. I wasn't sure if it was the promise of my lasagna or a possible "foot massage" that had him hurrying to get finished. Knowing him- both. Equally.

**~oOo~**

The doorbell chimed at eight o'clock on the dot, followed immediately by a sharp knock on my door. Someone is mighty anxious, I thought as I went to open the door.

"Hi, there, Mr. Impatient. Come in." He looked scrumptious in a pair of soft, dark jeans and cotton t-shirt with a hoodie zipped up over it. I noticed that he hadn't shaved. Everything about him, from the top of his sex hair to the hem of his jeans screamed "TOUCH ME! I FEEL AH-MAZ-ING!", and he didn't make me wait long to do exactly that. As soon as he was through the door he had his arms around me. He stooped and pulled me close to him in a near crushing hug. I wasn't complaining, though. It felt heavenly to be smooshed by him. My feet dangled off the floor when he stood to walk us further into the house.

"I can walk on my own, you know." My voice muffled by the fact that my face was buried in that delicious hollow between his neck and his shoulder. Lord, I loved that spot. With any luck I'll be licking this same spot later, I mused to myself.

"I know. I'm just not ready to put you down yet. Be quiet and let me enjoy this."

We stood like that for a few minutes, and my legs grew tired so I causally wrapped my legs around his waist. Instinctively he grabbed my thighs and hefted me higher, shifting my weight and getting a better grip on me. That little adjustment brought certain parts of him into very close contact with certain parts of me. It was quite obvious at that moment that Edward was most definitely a man; a man with a plan. Or at the very least, a man with a fervent hope. We both moaned at the possibility that his fervent hope would become our virile reality. The buzzer sounded on the oven signaling that his favorite lasagna had finished setting and was ready to serve.

"I'm buying you a new stove," he growled into my hair.

"Why, mine works just fine," I protested, and may have sniffed him. He smelled warm and freshly showered. Yum.

"'Cause that one is a cock-blocking son of a bitch! Every time I get you in this kitchen and start doing naughty things to you it goes off. It's like a giant, baking chastity box!"

I laughed and pressed my lips to his in a quick kiss, "Lemme down, grumpy. Somebody's hungry. You always get like this when you're hungry. Let's table all discussion of evicting my kitchen appliances until after we have you fed. Deal?"

"Fine," he reluctantly let me down, "but mark my words, I WILL buy you an oven that can be programmed to shut itself off and keep food warm on its own. This is ridiculous."

We walked to the kitchen, I plated out dinner and we went to sit out on the back deck. There was a new bench swing Phil had installed while I was gone. Darcy joined us, just happy to be included. I sat with my back to the armrest and balanced my plate on my bent knees. My feet got cold quickly, so I tucked them up under his thigh. He adjusted to accommodate me.

"Comfy?" He asked.

"Very," I assured him.

"Good. This smells incredible. Thank you, Bella."

"You're very welcome, Edward. I hope you enjoy it. Dig in!"

"I thought you'd never ask."

~oOo~

After dinner we cuddled on the couch eating tiramisu. You would have thought we were watching a porno if you'd have been in the other room; the man was making all kinds of obscene noises as he went to town on the plate of obviously good dessertness on his plate. I couldn't even eat my own because I was too caught up in watching him make loooove to the fork. God, how I wanted to be that fork.

"Enjoying that, Cullen?"

"Mmmm-hmmm," came his non-response.

"Should I leave you two alone?"

"Would it be rude if I said yes?"

Shocked, I gasped that it would be very rude indeed. To which he replied, "In that case, if you'd please give us a few moments alone, I'd really appreciate it. Oh, and just leave your plate here. I'll take care of it, too."

I gasped again, "Fine, if that's the only reason you came over here, Edward Cullen, then I'll happily clear out for a while. In fact, feel free to help yourself to whatever else you'd like. There's more in the fridge if you'd like a third helping. Just don't choke. I hate having to find new places to hide the bodies." With a smirk I shoved my plate at him and jumped up, not really mad, but intending to straighten up the kitchen a little and get myself another plate of dessert. I couldn't fault the man for loving something as right as tiramisu.

Before I could move away he grabbed my wrist, the fork he'd been molesting still tight in his grasp as well. Without saying a word he pulled at me, forcing me back down on the couch and then across to where he sat. I nearly wound up in the tiramisu, although that might not have been all bad. Maybe he would have done to me a few of the dirty, dirty things I'd watched him do to the fork.

With just inches between us he rasped, "Did you mean it?"

"Mean what," I whispered. The look in his eyes was feral, hungry.

"What you said about helping myself to whatever I wanted."

It took a fraction of a second for my brain to register what he was asking, and once it did I was flustered from imagining what it was he could possibly want to help himself to. I was so hoping it was something that involved me and the tiramisu. Or just me would have been good, too. I nodded that my invitation was sincere and open ended.

"Good," he groaned. To my dismay he released me, but not the fork, and finished what was on his plate in a single bite then laid the plate on the coffee table. I was still hovering over the now forgotten second plate which he scooped up set atop his empty one. He crawled across the couch, urging me onto my back and wrapping my legs around him. "Now we can pick up where we left off before the chastity box so rudely interrupted us."

With my legs around his waist, and my hands in his hair, he kissed me. And he tasted like cinnamon, and coffee, and cocoa, all creamed together. I may not have been able to eat any of the dessert, but I was definitely enjoying it at that moment.

"You have way too many clothes on for my liking, Swan."

Who was I to argue with the man? I had offered him anything he wanted. If he wanted me less clothed then he could have me less clothed. I peeled off my shirt while he made quick work of my pants. Edward's eyes roamed over my nearly naked body. I stripped him of his shirt to even the score. He lunged at me once he was freed from the cottony prison, his hands touching me everywhere at once, but paying special attention to each part of me. Those talented hands wandered over me and paused to remove my bra. I lifted up so he had better access to my now mostly naked form.

"Beautiful," he breathed reverently as his gaze passed over me.

"Upstairs," I directed him, "I want you upstairs."

"Yes, ma'am!" With my legs wrapped around his waist he lifted me and took the stairs two at a time.

"Easy there, big guy, I'd hate for you to tire yourself out before the main event," I half teased.

"Not even possible, Bella," he groaned. "It's your stamina I'm worried about, hence the free ride."

"Oh, I'll be riding you all the way to the finish line. Now, where were we?"

He smirked at my pathetic attempt at naughty pillow talk, but quickly refreshed my memory by picking up where he'd left off downstairs. Hands, and lips, and tongue, and other delicious parts of him sought out complimentary parts on me and proceeded to work all of me into a frenzy of groping and dizzying kisses.

The divine kissing abruptly stopped; I pawed at him to continue. When he didn't immediately comply with my urgent requests to resume groping and mauling me I peeked out from my lust-filled haze to see what was more distracting than my naked body pressed against his. He was looking around at the contents of my room, a room that he should remember vividly, yet he was taking it in as if he never seen it before. His gaze settled on every piece of furniture, each of the four corners. I tried to see it as he was, but everything looked the same to me. Except for the obvious addition of boxes; boxes that were still only half full.

The Battle of the Bods forgotten, the fire between us quickly cooled. He gently set me on the floor, but kept me closely wrapped in his arms.

"Looks like someone's been busy," his tone was difficult to read. I couldn't tell if he was upset or not. "So, what's with the boxes?"

"Yeah, that was the something we were supposed to discuss before we got to the naked wrestling part. You jumped ahead of the schedule." I snuggled into the warmth of his bare chest.

"Oh, sorry. You should have told me there was an agenda this evening," a soft smile and the calm resonating in his voice let me know he was half joking. "I can't say that I would have followed it, but it would have been good info to have. Besides, I would classify this as 'mostly' naked wrestling- you still have panties on." The man had a point.

"How very observant of you! I'm not opposed to amendments to the schedule. We can just flip- flop the 'Naked Wrestling' that was slotted for eleven P.M. to the 'Big Talk' that was planned to go down at nine. We might need to push that back until tomorrow, though, considering how we've been known to have marathon wrestling sessions."

"Aw, Bella, I can't stay overnight. Lord knows I wish I could, but I have an appointment tomorrow morning and I have to be ready for it pretty early. Besides, I told Mini I'd be home."

Clearly, that was not how I'd imagined our first night back together would turn out. Hence the schedule. Resolved that Naked Wrestling had been tabled for the time being, I grabbed a t-shirt off the top of the closest pile, (there were several of them growing like stalagmites from every flat surface in the room) and tugged it on.

"Oh, okay," I was a little disappointed that we wouldn't be having a sleepover, but at the same time I understood. I shouldn't have assumed he'd be staying when I invited him to dinner. Obviously the man didn't know that "dinner" was code for "hot, all night reunion-slash- postponed makeup sex". I made a mental note to remedy that ASAP.

"Don't get me wrong, there's nothing I like better than to reschedule my appointment and stay with you, but it was really hard to get an appointment with Melanie Walker, especially an early morning one, on such short notice. And you look like you have a busy day ahead of you tomorrow." He looked around the room at the organized disarray.

"Melanie Walker the Realtor?" I flopped on the bed and shoved a carefully folded tower of cotton out of the way so he could sit. With my meticulously planned schedule blown to smithereens, I decided to just get to the "Big Talk". It was obvious he had something big to discuss as well. He joined me and continued.

"Uh, yeah, that Melanie Walker. I asked her to come over and look at the condo, give me an idea of what she thought I could get for it."

"You're thinking about selling your condo? But why?" Now I was completely confused. This was so not the "talk" I had in mind when I made the non-schedule.

"It's just something I'm looking into."

"Okay, but you love living on the beach, why would you even consider selling that place?" He took my hand in his and looked at me sweetly, indulgently.

"Because I love you. Because I won't live without you. I can't, I need you in my life, and your life is in New York." His declaration floored me; took my breath away. Unable to respond Edward filled the silence. "I'm selling the condo and Mini and I are moving to New York to be with you, Bella."

I nearly fell off the bed. What? He was what? My head shook trying to clear itself and rattle all the pieces into place. He loved me, that I already knew. Hearing it, though, after everything we'd been going through, was music to my ears. And then he just blurted out that he was moving to New York, when his whole world was here... I was overwhelmed. Then it hit me, he couldn't!

"You can't!" It came out a little more forcefully than I'd intended, and he jumped.

"Why not? I'm assuming the 'Big Talk' you had scheduled was about you deciding to take the job and move. The boxes are kind of a dead giveaway."

"Yeah, I guess they do evoke a certain 'moving day' feel, huh?" The thought occurred to me that I needed to work on communicating better with this man. Life would be so much easier if we were on the same page more often.

"That they do, but even before you came home I knew you'd be moving."

"You did, huh?"

"Yeah, you may have been trying to keep it quiet, but your enthusiasm and the way you were talking when I visited made it a tad obvious. You love it there, you belong there, and Mini and I belong where you are, so I'm doing what we need to in order to be together."

My heart cracked, right down the middle, and then shattered into millions of tiny pieces. He was willing to do this- for us?

"Why Edward? What's changed? Just three months ago you unflinchingly told me if I left that we couldn't be together. You told me that I was selfish-"

"I know," he interrupted, "But I've had three months to cool down. Three months without you and to be able to think about things, about us. After visiting you it was clear that your life has changed, but for the better."

"But your family and your lives are here. Masen's school, the shop... we can't move them all to New York. How can you leave that behind?"

"We'll have to make some pretty big changes, but we need you. Watching you on that stage I realized that you had found you. Finally. You were happy, content. The only thing missing was us. I figured this was the way we could all have what we need."

"I can't ask you to do that, Edward. Its too much!"

"It isn't too much," he argued, "And you're worth it, baby."

He looked so happy and pleased with himself that I hated to do it, but it had to be said.

"Edward," I said gently, "I don't think it's a good idea." Slowly the smile faded from his face.

"You don't?" The hurt in his voice was something I'd hoped never to hear again. "Why? I thought this is what you wanted. I figured this was the best solution, this way you can have the music, Mini, and me. I just don't understand, Bella!" Emotion and confusion tainted his tone.

"But, sweetie, I don't. How can you think that uprooting the two of you would be a good thing? Masen needs your family, he needs to be here. You need to be here. I've always felt that way. I would never ask you to leave all of this. I couldn't live with myself if you did. Please, rethink this before it's too late."

"So, you're saying you don't want us to move to New York," he stated disbelievingly.

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying."

"Well, then..." After a few moments he said, "I guess I need to cancel that appointment with Melanie," he pulled the phone from his pocket.

"Wait, Edward," my hand covered his, stopping him from completing the call. "We're not finished talking yet."

"I'm not sure what there is left to say, Bella, and Melanie is a very busy woman. I'm sure she won't appreciate me calling her tomorrow before the ass-crack of dawn to cancel on her." Anger dripped from his words.

"I understand that, Edward, but just wait a second, ok? You come in here, sabotage my schedule, drop the 'We're moving to New York!' bomb on me, and then get mad when I ask you to slow down a moment and think things through? See? This is why I made a schedule!" The entire night was going to hell in a hand basket, not at all like I had planned it. I was nearing hysteria and decided to take back control of the evening.

"Give me your phone, please." I held out my hand expectantly. When he reluctantly handed it over to me I gently chucked it into a nearby box of clothes. "There, now you can't do something you'll regret later."

"What are you doing, Bella? Have you lost your mind?"

"Nope, not to my knowledge. You, on the other hand, have. Since when do you make rash decisions and when did you decide that this crazy, insane, sweet, self-sacrificing, hair-brained plan of yours was a good idea? Did you not think for a second that maybe this was something we should have discussed together?"

"Funny, I remember feeling the exact same way three months ago when you told me you were leaving for NYC," he bit back.

I was gearing up to launch into a grand speech about being a team and making decisions together. The words got stuck in my throat and I struggled to swallow them down. He'd made an excellent point. One that pointed back to my earlier observation that we needed to communicate more.

"Kinda a lot like how I felt seeing all these boxes." He made another excellent point, but for a different reason. See, in a way he was right about the boxes, but not entirely so.

"Edward. I'm sorry, you're right. I didn't handle my deciding to go to New York the right way; I should have been more open and talked it through with you rather than just deciding. It was wrong, and for that I am deeply sorry. I know that a lot of this could have been avoided if I had just talked to you."

"Maybe. You should have come to me a lot sooner, Bella. I can't guarantee that my opinion about your moving would have been any different, but I know I would have reacted differently."

"I see that now," I admitted.

He was quiet a moment, then quietly he asked, "Why don't you want us, Bella? I just don't understand what you want anymore."

"Oh, Edward, I do want you, sweetie!"

"But you don't want us in New York?"

"No. I don't. I think it's a terrible idea."

A resigned sigh shook chest. "Ok, I don't understand, but if you think it is a bad idea then let me call Melanie and cancel before it gets too late."

"No."

"Bella, stop being difficult. Just give me my damned phone so I can call the woman!"

It was time to unveil my Plan. A plan I'd been sitting on for two weeks and now realized that I should have talked to him about before enacting. Well, there was a saying, "There's no time like the present".

"I think you should keep the appointment, Edward."

"What? You aren't making any sense! You don't want me to cancel the appointment but you don't want us to move?"

"I didn't say that. I said that I didn't want you to move to New York."

"I got that part loud and clear," he grumbled. "Then where do you expect us to live?"

"Well, I hear there's this adorable little beach house about seven and a half miles down the beach from where you live now. I think it would be perfect for you and Mini." He knew which house I was referring to.

"You want us to move in here, while you live in New York? I don't see how that solves anything, Bella. I'm confused, help a guy out here! I can't read your mind! How about sending up a bat signal or something..."

"Silly, Edward! I'm not moving to New York."

"You aren't?" He sat there, stunned. I wondered if I had looked as goofy as he did just a few moments earlier when he unveiled his idea to move to NYC. I hoped not.

"Nope."

"Then what's with all the boxes?"

"Well, some of them are all the crap I managed to amass over the summer, but most of them are me making room for you. I guess this is another instance when I should have talked to you first, but I'm hoping you'll like this idea a hell of a lot better than the last one I sprung on you."

"You're staying," he stated. It was like he was saying out loud to make it real. "You're really staying."

"I am. I'm home for good, and I'm hoping that this could be our home." He still hadn't said anything about my suggestion. He got up, though, and strode over to the box that held his phone and started dialing someone.

"Who are you callin-" He held up his hand to me in the universal signal of "Shush! I'm on the phone here!" . I tried not to listen his end of the call, but it was hard not to with him two feet from me.

"Hey. Yeah, everything's fine. Listen, think you could keep Mini tonight? I know you offered earlier... Yeah, I should have listened... No, we're not naked! We're just talking... Yes, I'm sure we are both fully clothed... well, mostly. Listen, will you watch Masen or not? Okay, thanks. Yeah. I'll be home early tomorrow morning. We can talk later... All right... Thanks... Love you, too. Bye, Allie."

The phone was unceremoniously chucked back into the box it had recently been rescued from. It took all of two strides for him to make it over to where I sat on the edge of the bed, and then I was suddenly standing in front of him. He held me in place by my arms, mere inches from him. The pressure of his hands around my biceps felt possessive, like he owned me at that moment. I really wanted to be possessed.

The conflicting rise and fall of our chests had a delicious friction building between us. At any moment one of us could shock the other with the electricity that was mounting.

"I'm going to kiss you now, Bella, and I'm not going to stop." I wasn't sure if that was a warning or a vow.

"O- okay," came my brilliant, sexy reply.

"I mean it, so if there's something you need to do; turn off a buzzer, walk the dog, clean out the gutters, you'd better do it. Now."

"I'm... I'm good," I stuttered. Caught off guard, I was less than eloquent. I wanted less talking, more kissing and I'd do anything to get to that point.

"You're sure," he hedged.

"Uh-huh. I had my gutters serviced when I was away." Well, I did.

"Good. Now come here." One moment I was worrying about what combustible material might be nearby in case we threw off any sparks from all the chest rubbing, and the next I was the one doing the combusting.

He claimed me as his, his mouth consuming me, possessing me just like I'd wanted him to. The rest of our bodies quickly fell into step, merging closer together; even a few millimeters of space seemed like an eternity apart.

The shift was instantaneous, but I felt it as each part of him connected to every part of me. Arms wrapped around, closing the gap between us. Chests that had merely been brushing and stroking were pressed tightly together, the hard lines of him compacting the soft swell of my breasts. I felt the points of his hips align with my curves. A soft, male groan escaped from where our lips were busy enacting what the rest of our bodies were desperate to do. With a swivel of those hips I felt the hard line of his erection press against my stomach. Feeling that and knowing that it was me he wanted stole what little breath I had and triggered its own physical response in me. Sparks fluttered up and down along my spine, settling deep in my center. Rubbing against him, I coaxed more of those sparks hoping to fan them into a flame that would consume us both.

"Edward...," I pleaded.

My need to feel more of him was mounting. For months I'd dreamed of how this moment between us would be. Hell, just last night I dreamt of our coming together: slow, decadent passion with the beach's setting sun as the backdrop to our reunion. But now that we were actually in that moment all I could focus on was more and hurry! Lightning fast was too slow.

He scowled at me, "Why do I have to keep taking you're clothes off, woman? Can't you just leave them off instead of making more work for me?" Not wanting to tire him out unnecessarily, I clutched the hem of the offending t-shirt and peeled it off. Instantly, his fingertips sunk into bare, tender flesh in the most tantalizing way. I almost hoped there'd be bruises there tomorrow to remind me of how hungry he'd been for me. He pressed his mouth to every spot his hands touched, kissing away the bitterness of his rough touch. The gentle scratch of his scruff burned a trail across my delicate skin. All along my jaw he nipped and scratched, working his way down the column of my neck to the line of my collarbone.

I loved the way his hands and mouth double-teamed every inch of me: where one went the other soon followed. All across my body they moved, brushing and teasing sensitive skin. Edward's long, attentive fingers splayed out across my ribs, holding me in place against the mattress as his mouth rendered me senseless. The only sounds in the room were our breathy pants and soft moans of pleasure.

"What's this," he rasped. Those fingers that held me captive just moments earlier now traced the design inked down my side: three interconnected lotus flowers.

"A tattoo." Well, duh. Obvious much, Bella? "Less talking, more licking, please."

"I can see that, but when did you get this?" I was getting frustrated; the man had me mostly naked, writhing beneath him, and he wanted an explanation of a damn tattoo? Someone's priorities were seriously misplaced.

Determined to get back in the game, I decided it was time to play dirty. We could talk later since the Plan and the Schedule were obviously forgotten. I reached between us and palmed the thick shaft of his erection.

"Would you rather talk about my tattoo, that isn't going anywhere, or would you rather hear me tell you what I'd like for you to be doing with this instead?"

He moaned and ground himself against my hand, urging me to continue. With the game back in play I made good on my offer.

"I want this," I stroked him through his jeans, "buried deep in me. I want to be so caught up in what you are doing to me that I forget everything else except how to cry out your name. Make me cry out your name, Edward. Please."

"Oh my sweet, sweet, Bella. It would be my pleasure," he groaned, then he bit my collarbone. Surprised by the feel of his teeth on my skin I gasped, but his love bite was quickly soothed by his tongue as it slid over the spot that tingled from the sting of his passion.

"More," I heard myself beg. "Again." He complied, this time a little lower, his teeth finding their mark in the soft tissue of my breast. I yelped when they pinched, but it was a glorious pain. He paused long enough to rid himself of the rest of his clothing before he climbed to hover over me. He continued his path down my body, biting and kissing along my ribs over my tattoo, across my stomach, nipping at each of my hips as he gripped my lone remaining article of clothing in his hands. And as he peeled the panties from my squirming body, he switched from love bites to worshiping kisses.

Each thigh was lavished and I nearly died from the anticipation of what I knew he was about to do to me. For a man who was in such a hurry only moments earlier, Edward suddenly found all the time in the world to make his way to the Promised Land. His strong arms wrapped around my thighs were all that were keeping me on that bed as I twisted and wriggled trying to maneuver him where I needed him. I pleaded and moaned for him to get on with it as the heat of his pants brushed against my sensitive flesh. Finally, he decided I'd suffered enough and covered me with his mouth. That talented tongue teased and flicked until I was crying out his name.

Before I could recover he was hovering over me once again. Poised between my legs, his cock pressed into my hip, begging for attention. I opened myself further to him, and he effortlessly slid into place.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, drawing him slowly deeper into me and stilling any further movement on his part. I just wanted to savor the feeling of having him there again- finally. It was right, it was perfect, it was where we stopped being Bella and Edward and became one. It was in that moment that I was reminded that the ride we'd been on, albeit a bumpy one, was our own. One that we had to travel down to forge a way to each other. We belonged together, and despite the bumps and detours along the way we had found our way.

Edward rolled his hips, hitting a particularly sensitive spot and igniting a new spark deep within me. I returned the movement, encouraging him to continue. With every push and pull the tension grew, each thrust winding the passion tighter and tighter until it finally erupted and spread out, covering me like a blanket.

Spent and thoroughly satisfied, Edward collapsed next to me, panting. Every muscle and ligament in my body felt like Jell-O. All I wanted to do was lie there and bask in the feeling of finally having the chance to share that with the man I loved once again. Well, that and see how much longer it might be before we could work on round two. Oh, how I had missed that man!

His voice, thick with pleasure, cut through my post-coital haze.

"Tell me why, Bella. Why did you decide to come back? Don't get me wrong, I'm beyond happy that you're staying, but what changed your mind?" We shifted so we could see one another better. His hair was wild from my fingers, and when the sheet slid over my skin I could feel the rawness from where that delicious scruff had rubbed against tender bits. A shudder ran trough me at the thought.

"This seems a little deep for pillow talk after what you just did to me, but if you really want to know it was a number of things, honestly. You, Mini, Reese... there wasn't one thing that said, 'Go home, Bella.' It was a lot of little things that were like a road map that led me back here. Visiting Arizona changed something in me, though." Needing a physical connection to him, I traced the images on his arms and chest. He took the hint and snuggled me in closer to him. It was a nice realization that we fit together like sweaty puzzle pieces. "I realized as I walked around my old house that Mom, Dad, Reese and I, had been a family there; it was a home. It had been a place where memories were made, dreams were imagined, laughter ran up and down the stairs, and tears were dried- all within its walls. I wanted that, but I wanted it with you and Masen. I had no idea how I was going to get to that reality, especially considering where we stood at that time, but I hoped that we still could. I was determined to do whatever it took to get to there."

"I love hearing you say that, baby, really I do, but what about your dreams? What about New York and the music?"

"I don't regret New York. I can't, Edward. Being away from you and Masen was the hardest thing I've ever done, but I needed to find what it was that I thought was missing from my life. Up until a few months ago I felt like everything I'd done in my life had been for someone else, and if I'd stayed here then I would have been doing that for you. Going to New York helped me see that nothing is worth losing myself over. I learned that I am a musician; bringing music to others is definitely something that I need to be doing. I know that now, but I know that New York isn't the only place I can do that."

"So, you're still going to be performing, just not in New York?"

"There's a lot we need to discuss, but regardless of what we decide, I told you that I'm back for good and I meant it. I realized when I was in Phoenix that I'd finally found my wings, but that I needed roots, too. You and Masen are my roots. This is home, and in the end, this is where I want to be."

"What's this about Mini and me moving in? I think we need to discuss this a little more."

"Why? You were packing up to move to NYC to be with me. What's the difference between that and moving in here?"

"I just wonder if it isn't a little rushed."

"Uh, Edward, when has anything with us been anything but rushed? Do I have to drag you downstairs to the piano and give you an interactive presentation on how we first met?" His chuckle shook the bed and lightened the mood.

"That sounds very interesting. I'm sure we could come up with a 'power point' or two."

"Was that a thinly-veiled reference to your peen, Dr. Cullen?"

"That depends..."

"On what?"

"On whether or not I'll still get that presentation if I say yes."

"Would you be saying yes to the suggestion to move in here?"

"I think you are a dangerous, manipulative woman, Bella Swan," he ducked to dodge the question.

"Edward," I sat up against the headboard and he mirrored my position. Taking his hand I started, "I love you. I love Mini. I want to be a part of your lives from here on out. When I look ahead I see that you are my future; I can't imagine my life without you two in it. Hell, when I look back you're my past. I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for our relationship and the love we've shared, but I see you as my now, too. I don't want to wait. We know we work. I know we aren't perfect, but we are perfect for each other. I know you see that too, otherwise you wouldn't have been gung-ho to move to NYC to be with me.

"I've come to believe that there comes a time when you're faced with your past, your present, and your future. That time for us is right now. I want you and Masen to be my past, my present, and my future. And I want to be that for you, Edward."

He was quiet for a long time. We sat side by side with my head resting on his bare shoulder, each lost in our own thoughts.

"Okay," he said at last. I looked to him expectantly.

"Okay, what?"

"Okay, we'll move in."

~oOo~

Later that night as I stared at the ink embedded deep in the skin on his chest, watching as it rose and fell with each breath he took, I couldn't help but think back on what had brought us to that exact moment. I traced both Masen and my names on him, an indelible mark and a permanent reminder of his commitment to us. Just as the one that scrolled down my ribs was a testament to my own commitment to the two of them.

Edward's arm curled around me, holding me close against his side, his hand resting over the trio of flowers that now decorated my ribcage. Not long after I'd moved I decided that I needed to have the two men who had so completely changed my life represented just as Reese was. I'd chosen three lotus flowers, all connected by scroll work. It was feminine and beautifully done, but the meaning behind it was deep. I recalled lying in the chair as the needle rasped along my skin and hoping to someday get the chance to share it with the two people it was commissioned for.

"Tell me about this," he fingered the sensitive skin along my ribs, his touch almost tickling.

"My tattoo?"

"Yeah," a kiss was pressed to my temple as encouragement, as if I needed any.

"It's us; one flower for each of us. I picked the lotus because it's beautiful but more so because it is revered for its strength when faced with adversity. It also symbolizes all the reality that is beyond our human understanding. Everything happens for a reason. We may not know what that reason is at the time, but there is a purpose beyond our understanding."

"Wow, that's profound. Do I need to start calling you 'Guru' now?"

"No, smart ass. 'Oh, Wise One' has a much better ring to it."

He laughed easily, "Yeah, it kinda does. So, Wise One, what was the purpose?"

"Purpose?" I wasn't following him.

"If everything happens for a reason, then what's the reason for us?"

"Seriously? You're going to ravish me with mind-blowing sex and then ask what's the reason for us? That might be the last nookie you see for another three months, mister."

"Oh, come on, Bella! I just want to hear your answer!" He pulled me closer to him, trapping me against him. I have to admit it wasn't a miserable place to be. I snuggled in willingly.

"The reason for us is a simple one: love. Your heart speaks to my heart, as mine does to yours. I need you, your strength, your kindness, all of you. My life isn't complete without you. You being in my life makes waking up each morning worthwhile. From the first moment you walked through my classroom door I felt drawn to you. When I was in New York I was happy, but I missed you, missed your presence and how we would work together as a team. We fit, and together we love that little boy of yours the way he deserves to be loved."

"He deserves that and so much more. Okay, you're officially the Wise One."

I scoffed at his proclamation. "It's alright, babe, you don't have to call me that in public. Only around the house."

"Oh, only around the house, huh? Is that a new house rule?"

"Depends on whether you're serious about moving in. Because I am, Edward. I want all of us to be together. If you would rather live somewhere else, then that's fine. I just want to be with you two."

"I love the idea of moving in here. We'll have to figure out some things, but I think we can handle it. Might have to put my piano in storage... but that's not a big deal."

I couldn't help myself; I squealed and flung myself at him, straddling him and pressing kisses all over his face and neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

One moment I was accosting him and the next I had bolted out of bed. I began rummaging through ruined piles of clothes looking for something to tug on.

"Whoa! Where'd you go? I was just getting into that! And why are you putting on clothes again?" He roared. "Stop putting on clothes that I just end up having to take off!"

"Oh, hush! Get up! Get dressed! We're going for a ride!" I laughed.

"What? Where? Bella, there's only one ride I'm interested in right now and it sure as hell doesn't involve you being dressed!"

"We're going to see Mini! I can't wait until morning to tell him!"

What I was suggesting finally registered and he vaulted into action, scurrying around looking for his own clothes. Once we were dressed I texted Alice and told her we'd be there in ten minutes to get Masen, but not to spoil the surprise.

We loaded Darcy in Edward's car and tossed my overnight bag in the back. Darce gave Edward's face an appreciative lick as we started up the road to the condo. He knew where we were going and his tail thumped out his approval of this new plan.

When we got there it was late, but Mini was still up watching some movie with Alice and Jasper. He was sprawled out on their pillow-strewn floor. We'd let ourselves in and Mr. Darcy made a bee-line for his boy. Silently he walked up and sat down next to an enraptured Masen. Darce waited patiently for Masen to acknowledge his presence. It only took a moment or two. Sensing someone next to him Mini looked over once, then twice, trying to convince himself of what he was seeing. Then the air erupted in squeals and hoots of utter joy as Mini flung his arms around the dog's neck.

"Darcy! You're HOME! Oh, man! You're REALLY home!" The two rolled around on the floor nuzzling and playing, Darce sufficiently making up for every kiss he'd missed giving the boy and the kid scratching and rubbing every square inch on the mutt. "I can't believe you're here!" Darcy answered with a resounding bark as if to say, "Believe it, bub!"

Meanwhile, as the touching reunion unfolded in front of us, Alice and Jasper had come to welcome me home as well. My dearest friend pulled me to her and whispered into my hair, "Welcome home, Bella. It feels good to have you back."

"It feels good to be back, Allie."

Jasper hugged me tightly and kissed the top of head like a protective older brother.

"Now maybe things will get interesting around here again," he laughed.

"Aw, Jazz, were you bored while I was away? I'll have to have a talk about that with Alice, later." I teased him.

It was then that Masen managed to untangle himself from the poochie pretzel he and Darcy had folded themselves into.

"BELLA!" The miniature carbon copy of the man I loved launched himself at me, nearly knocking me to the floor. Thankfully, Edward was there to catch us.

"Oh, Mase! It's so good to see you sweetie! I couldn't wait until tomorrow to see you, I hope you don't mind that we're gonna crash your slumber party, because I have some very big news to tell you."

"Dad and I have big news, too. Did he tell you?"

"I would hope so," Edward chastened him, "otherwise you just spoiled the surprise."

"Oops, sorry. I didn't, did I?"

"No, buddy, you didn't," I let him off the hook. "Your dad is just being a sour puss. Ignore him."

"What do you say to going next door and having a family meeting?" Edward suggested.

"Um, okay," Mini shrugged. "Night Aunt Allie, Uncle Jazz. Thanks for everything." He hugged each of them before gathering his things and letting us lead him across the hall to Edward's condo.

Once we were all in and locked up for the night Edward said in a very official voice, "I hereby call this family meeting to order in my chambers. All of you, march!" Mini laughed and was swatted for his insubordination as he passed by his father. I was caught off guard when I received the same treatment as I passed as well.

"HEY! What did I do?"

"Nothing yet, but I couldn't resist the opportunity."

"You abuse your power, sir. I'm reporting you to the Queen Mum tomorrow at Cullen Family Sunday Dinner!" I pouted and scrambled up on the bed next to Mini.

"You're coming tomorrow, Bella?" Mini asked hopefully.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss it! Especially when we tell them what we have to say. Your Uncle Em is going to be stunned into silence for the first time in his life, and I want a front row seat for that!"

"Awesome! This is gonna be the best Sunday Dinner ever! Wait, are we telling everyone about New York, Dad?"

"Hold on, don't get ahead of us, my man! We're not all present and accounted for, yet." He climbed in on the other side of Mini and arranged the sheets around us all. "Comfy?"

"Yep," Masen and I both answered.

"Hey, get up here, mutt. This involves you too, so that makes you family." Masen looked over at me with the biggest grin ever and made room for Darcy between the two of us.

"So, Mini...," Edward started.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Well, you know how we talked about moving to New York to be with Bella and how it would be an awesome adventure?"

"Yeah! I'm so excited!" The boy nearly vibrated with excitement; I wondered if he'd sleep at all tonight.

"The plans have kind of changed. We're still going to move, but I think, if you're okay with it, that is, I think we're gonna move into Bella's house instead."

Masen looked confused. "Bella's house here? But where will Bella live?" Then he got upset, "You're staying in New York and we aren't coming, too? But I thought that was the plan, Dad."

"Hey, hey, Mini, listen, it's okay." I reassured him, "You and your dad aren't moving to New York, we talked and decided that it wasn't right for you two to give your whole lives simply to be close to me."

"But we love you," he argued, "We want to be with you."

"Oh, sweetie, I love you too," I hugged him tightly, "that's why I'm coming back."

"For good?" He looked up at me. I couldn't believe how big he was getting and as I sat there in that bed with my favorite guys I was more sure than ever that I was making the right choice.

"Yeah, buddy, for good. In fact, your dad and I think we've come up with a great, new plan."

"What's that?"

"What do you think about you two moving in with me?"

"You mean like, forever?"

"Yeah, Mini, as in forever," Edward reassured his son. "We're a family and families stick together no matter what."

"So, this means you and Bella will be getting married?"

"Um, well, that hasn't been discussed, exactly, but, yeah, I'd love for Bella to agree to marry me." With those words he looked over his son's head at me, hope shining in his eyes. Mini chose that moment to yawn loudly and snuggle further down into the covers.

"I think that's something we should discuss at another time, maybe when we're all more awake?" I suggested grinning widely. My heart was pounding in my chest! If I wasn't mistaken, Edward had just kinda-sorta proposed to me in a roundabout way. I was thrilled and terrified at the same time.

"I agree," Edward reached over to switch off the light, "I say we sleep on it, and have a long, drawn out discussion about the pros and cons of the situation before you say yes." With that the room went dark, and the room was silent with the exception of the quiet snores coming from either the boy in my arms or the dog at his feet. I felt the bed shift and Edward reached out for me in the night. Like two bookends we sandwiched Mini and wrapped our arms around one another.

Just as I was dozing off I heard the man I adore whisper, "I meant it. I will marry you."

"Tomorrow, Edward," I hedged.

"You'll marry me tomorrow?" He gasped.

"No, doofus, I meant we'll talk about it tomorrow. I'm exhausted from all the romping we did earlier and if we do this now I'm going to say something stupid and you'll remind me of it for the rest of our lives. So, just do me a favor and table this until tomorrow, okay?"

I heard him snicker from his side of the bed. "You said, 'The rest of our lives,' that means you're gonna say 'yes'."

"Maybe, maybe not. But if you don't shut it and let me sleep I'm gonna kick you in the shin. Now, hush it so I can get my beauty rest so I won't have dark circles under my eyes on the day you officially propose to me." I joked.

"Fine, dear. Good night, I love you."

"Good night, I love you, too."

~oOo~

We spent the day on the beach talking. Mini and Darcy ran wild along the shore while Edward and I walked hand in hand talking about all kinds of things. We talked about moving in together and the logistics of that. We talked about Eclipse Choppers and where he saw the future of the brand going. At some point I told him that I'd already secured my old job with Masen's school for the upcoming school year, and that, thanks to the incredible generosity of my former director and some connections he had with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, I'd be performing with them on a semi-regular basis. Edward lit up when I told him. It was obvious that he was happy to hear that I'd be able to continue to perform. Knowing that my happiness was that important to him was humbling and made me realize once again how wonderful this life I lived was.

We walked for hours, stopping to pick up sharks' teeth and worn shards of sea glass.

"Oh, look! Do you see that?" he asked.

All I could see were the crushed shells that surrounded us. He took a few steps and stooped to pick something up.

"Wow, you don't find that on the beach every day," he exclaimed.

"What is it? Red sea glass?" I got excited; red sea glass was very rare on the east coast, and we didn't have a single piece in our giant jar at home.

He strode back to where I stood, his treasure clasped tightly in his hand. When he stood before me he dropped to one knee and reached for my hand. My breath caught in my throat when I realized what he was doing.

"Bella, I will always love you. I'd give anything and everything for you. You are my happiness, every beat of my heart depends on you. You may not be perfect, but you are perfect for me. Please tell me that you will spend the rest of our days driving me crazy and the rest of our nights hogging the covers. Please be a mother to our son, and make honest men out of us. Bella Marie Swan, I'm pleading with you to marry me."

Tears streamed down my face by the time he finished his speech. The wind whipped around us, and Mini had come over to see what was going on. He stood next to his dad just as Edward was wrapping up. I looked at the two of them. There was only one answer to give.

"Of course, I will marry you, silly man," I smiled through my tears. "There's only one other guy I'd ever even consider spending the rest of my life with, and he comes as a package deal with you. You're it for me, you wonderful man."

Edward slipped a ring on my finger, "It was my grandmother's. I've always loved this ring, but if you'd like something else we can discuss it."

"'Cause we're big talkers now!" I laughed as I brushed at the hair sticking to my tear-streaked face. The ring was beautiful and perfect. There would be no further discussion on the matter.

Mini hugged my waist, and Edward held us both. With an arm around both my men I felt like I'd finally reached my starting point. All these years I'd been driving towards my destination, seeking a route that would get me there. But standing there on the beach I realized that I had been searching for a place I could start the biggest, most exciting journey of my life.

After all they say it's not about the destination, it about the journey. And mine was just beginning.

The Beginning.

~oOo~

**A/N:**_These__crazy__kids__hijacked__my__chapter__!__10.5K__later__they__gave__it__back.__This__shouldn__'__t__really__surprise__me,__though,__seeing__as__how__they__took__control__from__day__one.__This__was__initially__a__one__shot__I__wrote__to__celebrate__Ninapolitan__'__s__birthday,__and__now__two__years__of__my__life__has__gone__by__and__I__'__ve__had__so__much__fun__on__this__ride!_

_Thank you for indulging me while I told this story! Your feedback and comments have helped me become a better writer and pushed me to do things I would have never imagined doing. I can only hope you have enjoyed this journey as I have. _


	28. Forever & For Always

Barbi and Liz's Road Trip Play List: There's only one song that would do: Ron Pope's "Headlights On The Highway".

~oOo~

Epilogue- Forever and For Always

We sat in the packed theater, my husband on one side of me and a squirmy kid in the seat on the other.

"Is this almost over, Mommy? I'm bored." The wiggly ball of poof and ruffles complained.

"No, Ila, it hasn't even started yet, silly girl. Now, sit still before I dump you in your daddy's lap." It wasn't much of a threat, really. She'd have been more than happy to be banished to the Land of Daddy's Lap. Thank goodness Daddy chose that moment to lean over and whisper to his daughter, "Little lady, if you don't behave there won't be any cake for you later. Listen to your mommy and sit still; this is Brother's big day."

She complied with a huff, "I don't see what's so big 'bout a gragamation any way. It's not like my dance 'cital. I wore a tutu and everything."

"I know, sweetie, but your brother worked really hard to get to this point. We have to all be here to cheer for him when they call his name!" I tried to reason with my four year old. That's when her Uncle Emmy intervened and plucked her from her seat and snuggled her into his lap.

"And Mini may not get to wear a tutu, but he does get to wear a dress and that cool pointy hat with the tassel!" Emmett Cullen, ever the voice of reason.

"That's not a dress, Uncle Emmy! That Bubby's unicorn!" she giggled. Emmett looked confused.

"You mean uniform, Ila. Now, shush, you two, or I will separate you," now that was a real threat. Our little girl adored her Uncle Em and he worshiped the ground she walked on.

"Yes, ma'am," Emmett replied and promptly handed the little terror his iPhone to play with. Oh, well, at least she'll be quiet, I thought. She really was a good little girl, but being not only the youngest child, but the youngest grandchild (and the only girl grandchild at that) brought about its own difficulties. That little girl was very loved, and her father and I had to fight every moment of the day to make sure that she didn't end up spoiled rotten. The day she was born was monumental and second only to the day that Edward, Masen and I officially became a family.

We were married in a beautiful ceremony in the spring after Edward proposed. Surrounded by our friends and loved ones, Edward Anthony Cullen pledged his love and life to me, as I did to him. The setting sun sinking into the still waters of the Inlet was the backdrop for our vows. All of which were very traditional with the small addition of the promise to always talk to one another.

And Edward took his vow of "discussions" very seriously. He even employed the used of the "talking stick", an annoying length of bamboo he'd garishly painted and hung shark's teeth and sea glass from so they clanked together when his shook the wand-like tool, something he did when he wanted our attention.

While I appreciated the concept of said talking stick, that in no way negated its obnoxious factor. I'd even tried to "discuss" how much the stick bugged me, but alas, the stick won out. I may have even resorted to hiding his beloved stick, but that backfired when he announced that all of my "joy stick" privileges were revoked until the talking stick was returned to its rightful place of honor over the mantle. Needless to say, the stick made a quick appearance amid a flourish of pomp and circumstance to assure Edward knew the stick had been returned. That was the night Ila was conceived. And no, we had not "discussed" whether it was the right time to have a baby. Good for nothing talking stick. What the hell did we have it for if not to monitor the most important discussions in our lives?

Anyway, Ila Elizabeth Cullen (pronounced Eye-la) burst forth into the world nine and a half months later, and it was clear from the beginning that the rest of us weren't going to be getting much of a word in edgewise, talking stick or no talking stick. She even out-talked her Auntie Allie, and gave her a run for her fashion sense, too. Ila, (or Nessie as Mini affectionately called her because he said she was a monster), had a keen eye for what was appropriate to wear or not so appropriate, as the case may be. After having the little diva home two weeks, I nearly had a panic attack over the fear that there simply weren't enough ruffles in existence to keep our little one dressed in a manner that she'd become accustomed to. Thus was the catalyst for Baby Cakes Custom Kids Clothing, a line of adorable kids and baby clothes that Alice and I designed and sewed in our "free time". Because a mother of a newborn and a hormonal, pubescent teenage boy has an abundance of free time. Regardless, it was a fun, creative outlet and it assured that Ila would never go ruffle-less.

I glanced over at my daughter who was surprisingly quiet and content playing some cupcake game on her Uncle Emmy's phone. It was time for the valedictorian's speech, and my heart skipped a beat when they called my son's name and introduce him before he addressed his fellow graduates. I tried to think back on the past eight years and remember the boy he'd once been. He stood before us all a man, and at six feet, four inches he was taller than his dad, and he never missed an opportunity to remind him of the fact. He'd ceased long ago looking up at me; now I strained to look up at him. He tucked me under his chin now when we hugged, and he did so often. My sweet boy never lost that quality. Never once had he ever scoffed or shunned my affection; not even in front of his peers. He told me once that he'd waited so long for a mom that when he finally got me he promised he'd never turn down a hug or cuddle. I wasn't sure who he'd promised that to, I just remember sobbing as he held me. (It didn't help that I was eight months preggers with his little sister when he sprang this on me. I was an emotional, hormonal mess, and he loved me nevertheless.)

Mini was overjoyed when we told him he was going to be a big brother. Well, he was after he got over the idea that his parents had to have sex in order to get knocked up. I could have shot Emmett Cullen for bringing that fact up. Leave it to Em to take a beautiful family moment and turn it into an opportunity to goof off.

We'd just told the family that there was a bun in the oven when he turned to his brother, and clapping him on the back, declared, "Well, it was about time you stuck it to her. Took you four years to figure out where everything went? Man, we knew you were a slow learner, Eddie, but that's really pathetic! It's a simple case of 'Insert Tab A into Slot B'."

Everyone froze. Mini was a freshman in high school at that point, and well versed in the comings and goings of the birds and the bees, but no teen wants to be reminded that their parents do the horizontal hula.

Mini rounded on his uncle, who he stood a good three inches taller than at that time, and spat out, "Ugh! That's disgusting, Em! I think I just thew up in my mouth a little. You. Are. A. Pig." He then stomped off murmuring something about brain bleach and inappropriate uncles.

Thank goodness Ila's presence had helped curb some of Emmett's raunchier comments. At least he thought about what he said before he blurted it out these days. Usually. He still had the occasional slip-up, and that would leave Edward and me scrambling to explain exactly how babies got into their mommies' tummies, or even more fun was the time old Darcy was "excited" about something doggies get excited over and Uncle Emmy told Ila to ask her mommy what that "wittle wed ting" (Little red thing) was on Darce's belly. She was fascinated with the fact that it could "grow" and disappear. That's fine, you just laugh. I want a front row seat when you have to explain what a penis is to your innocent little girl. For weeks she was obsessed with who and what had a penis, and what they did with said appendage. That was never a "discussion" I ever imagined I'd end up having with my three year old. And let's just say that was one time Edward and I were playing Hot Potato with the talking stick, neither of us wanting that responsibility.

Ila would miss Mini when he left for school. Hell, we all would; it wouldn't be the same without him in the house. He'd been accepted to Berklee College's school of music. He planned to major in Music Comp and minor in Music Therapy. He'd seen first hand how music could heal. He claimed over and over again that it was his love for music that helped him deal with difficult things when he was little before I'd come along. Now he looked forward to the day when he could use music to help others heal as well. Masen had irrevocably changed my life. Loving him set me on a course that I would have never imagined, and now he was setting out on his own ride. I had no idea what life held for him, but I did know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that a great adventure awaited him regardless of the road he took. Every day that young man made me more and more proud to call him mine. Through the years I told him that he was the best thing I never did. To which he'd reply that I was his mom in every way that mattered.

Regardless of whether or not I carried that boy in my womb, I could not have been more proud as the principal announced the conclusion of the graduation ceremony and introduced the Class of 2017. Hats flew, we all cheered, and Ila, startled by the ruckus, started to cry and leaned over for me to take her and comfort her. Edward wrapped an arm around "his girls" and kissed each of us.

"I love you, Mrs. Cullen."

"I love you, too, and that's Dr. Cullen to you, mister," I teased him. "How come you can never get that straight?"

"I'm not sure, but you love me anyway, right?"

"Of course I do, babe. Always and forever."

"You know what they say about love...," he hinted.

"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me." I laughed.

"Love makes the world go round!" He grinned and tweaked Ila's nose to get her to stop scowling as she covered her ears.

"I disagree, but it sure makes the ride worthwhile."**

Fin

~oOo~

A/N_:__Well,__that__'__s__it,__folks!__Thank__you__one__last__time__for__reading__and__sharing__your__thoughts.__Is__has__been__a__joy__to__share__this__journey__with__you._

_Be safe. _

_~ Forever, Liz_

**Franklin P. Jones said, "Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile." Thank you, Frankie, for letting me bastardize your very wise words. *smooches*


End file.
